One woman, Ten Men: Tinubu's NNPC board appointment raises gender concerns

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, appointed an 11-member board for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). However, only one woman made the list—and she is not an independent appointee. Instead, she serves as an institutional representative.

Lydia Jafiya, permanent secretary and representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance, is the sole woman on the new board, as announced by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga via his X handle on Wednesday.

The development has sparked concerns about gender representation in leadership roles within Nigeria’s oil sector.

Leadership Overhaul

In a major shake-up, Mr Tinubu sacked NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari and board chairperson Pius Akinyelure.

Bayo Ojulari has now been appointed as the new Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairperson.

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“Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), who represents North Central,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

“President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the Southwest, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the Southeast.”

Others are Aminu Ahmed, a representative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Adedapo Segun, the chief financial officer, and Mrs Jafiya.

Mr Onanuga said, “President Tinubu also handed out an immediate action plan to the new board: to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture Assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.”

Continuing Gender Discrimination?

Mr Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, had in 2022 inaugurated an 11-member board, including two female representatives. The two women were Margery Okadigbo, the chairperson, and Lami Ahmed, who represented the North-Central region.

Despite persistent advocacy for gender balance, appointments to leadership positions in Nigeria’s oil sector, and indeed across most spheres of governance, remain overwhelmingly male-dominated.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Tinubu had, in his appointment of ministers, jettisoned his campaign promise of ensuring fair women representation in his appointments.

The latest appointments also contradict President Tinubu’s promise to “feature women prominently” in governance.

Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is a major driver of the economy and is the largest foreign exchange earner for the West African country.

However, like in many other sectors, women are underrepresented in leadership positions, and Mr Tinubu’s appointments continue this trend.

Bala Zakka, an oil and gas analyst, told PREMIUM TIMES that the appointment is “skewed,” adding that Nigeria has competent women who could be appointed to the NNPC board.

Mr Zakka said he believes that there will likely be subsequent appointments that would reflect diversity.
He, however, said if there are no changes in subsequent appointments, it should be challenged.

“And I will want my use of the word challenge to be technically viewed, not to look at it from a confrontational level,” he said.

“And what I mean by challenge is, it needs to be questioned.”

Mr Zakka said at global levels, gender inclusivity, diversity are reflected in national, state and local activities, and he would be surprised if the development is overlooked.

Also, Mabel Adinya, a gender advocate, said the appointment is a stark reminder of the persistent gender imbalance in Nigeria’s governance and a “dangerous precedent for policy and economic inclusion.

Ms Adinya, the founder of Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF), noted that the latest development in the oil sector undermines national and international commitments to gender equity and contradicts Nigeria’s National Gender Policy, which advocates for at least 35 per cent female representation in government appointments.

“The petroleum sector is central to Nigeria’s economy, influencing energy policies, national revenue, and the cost of living,’’ she said.

“Yet, women remain largely excluded from its leadership, even as they bear the brunt of rising fuel costs, inflation, and economic instability. The singular female representative on the board is an institutional appointee from the Ministry of Finance, not an independent selection, suggesting tokenism rather than genuine inclusivity.”

Implications and solutions

A male-dominated board is less likely to prioritise economic policies that alleviate the disproportionate burden on women and vulnerable groups, Ms Adinya said.

She said that Nigeria risks economic stagnation by sidelining women’s contributions, emphasising global research that shows that diverse leadership, including gender diversity, improves governance, innovation, and economic performance.

The gender advocate urged the president and the National Assembly to take immediate action to enhance diversity and inclusion.

“The National Assembly must enact laws that make the 35/50 per cent required in the revised National Gender Policy inclusion quota mandatory in all government appointments,” Ms Adinya said.

“The NNPC and other government institutions must integrate gender-responsive policies to ensure balanced representation and inclusive decision-making.”