The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, neither awarded nor participated in the award of any oil block or marginal field, industry insiders have declared, describing allegations linking him to the process as “deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable.”
The sources stressed that neither Ojulari nor NNPCL possesses the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licences in Nigeria.
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Under the Petroleum Industry Act, upstream licensing is administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, while the authority to grant a Petroleum Prospecting Licence rests with the Minister of Petroleum Resources. NUPRC’s official guidance confirms this position.
Consequently, the sources said, any suggestion that Ojulari personally awarded an oil block, influenced the allocation process or used his position to secure a field for any individual or company is not only unsupported by evidence but fundamentally inconsistent with the law.
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“This allegation collapses under the slightest scrutiny,” a senior industry official said. “Ojulari did not conduct the bid process, evaluate applicants, select winners or award any oil block. He had absolutely no statutory role in the exercise. Those spreading this narrative know this, but they are deliberately misleading the public.”
Reform Opponents Accused of Sponsoring Smear Campaign
Powerful interests threatened by the reform programme of the NNPCL leadership are allegedly behind a coordinated campaign to discredit Ojulari and force him from office, according to industry sources familiar with the developments.
The sources alleged that individuals whose commercial interests have been disrupted by Ojulari’s transparency drive, tighter financial controls and cost-reduction measures are supporting a group operating under the name Oil and Gas Professionals Forum, OGPF.
The group recently alleged that a company linked to Ojulari’s wife benefited from the award of a marginal oil field. However, it reportedly failed to produce corporate documents, beneficial ownership records, licensing papers or any other credible evidence establishing such a connection.
Industry insiders described the allegation as a calculated fabrication designed to stain Ojulari’s reputation, erode public confidence in his leadership and create artificial grounds for agitation against his continued tenure.
“This is not an innocent misunderstanding of the licensing process,” one source said. “It is a deliberate attempt to hold Ojulari responsible for an exercise over which he had no legal authority, no regulatory responsibility and no decision-making power.”
Entrenched Interests Fight Back
Sources said the attacks intensified as the NNPCL leadership moved to improve transparency in commercial transactions, enforce financial discipline, reduce operating costs and review arrangements considered wasteful or inconsistent with the company’s commercial objectives.
They alleged that some individuals and companies that previously benefited from opaque transactions and weak institutional controls are fighting back because their interests have been affected by the reforms.
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According to the sources, the strategy is to portray Ojulari as ethically compromised, weaken his moral authority and distract the NNPCL leadership from implementing far-reaching institutional changes.
No documentary evidence identifying the alleged sponsors of the campaign was provided to this newspaper.
Reform and Commercial Discipline
Since assuming office, Ojulari has pursued reforms aimed at repositioning NNPCL as a commercially driven, operationally efficient and globally competitive energy company.
His leadership has prioritised cost reduction, improved production, stronger corporate governance, financial accountability and greater transparency across the company’s commercial operations.
He has also demanded greater discipline in contracting and investment decisions, while seeking to eliminate waste, strengthen internal controls and ensure that commercial arrangements deliver measurable value to the company and the Nigerian people.
Industry stakeholders said these measures have inevitably challenged entrenched interests accustomed to benefiting from questionable arrangements and weak oversight.
NNPCL Dismisses Allegations
NNPCL insiders have dismissed the claims against Ojulari as baseless, mischievous and politically motivated.
A senior company official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said Ojulari had complied with the relevant asset-declaration and Code of Conduct requirements.
“The attempt to link his family to an oil-block award is false and can easily be tested against official corporate and licensing records,” the official said.
“More importantly, the GCEO of NNPCL does not award oil blocks. NNPCL did not conduct the licensing exercise, and Ojulari neither selected nor approved any beneficiary. The allegation is therefore built on a false premise.”
The official challenged those making the claims to produce verifiable evidence and submit it to the appropriate investigative authorities rather than circulate unsupported accusations through anonymous groups and social-media platforms.
NNPCL maintained that it would not be intimidated or distracted from implementing reforms designed to strengthen transparency, improve operational efficiency and transform the company into a disciplined and commercially successful national energy enterprise.
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