The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives Philip Agbese has commended the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Bashir Bayo Ojulari for reforms he said had improved the company’s focus on public welfare and operational efficiency.
Agbese spoke to a select committee of the British Parliament at the House of Lords in Westminster about President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He said Ojulari’s leadership had shifted the NNPCL away from years of opacity elite capture and systemic waste towards reforms aimed at delivering tangible benefits to Nigerians.
The lawmaker described the changes as institutional reform designed to ensure the country’s petroleum resources serve the wider population rather than a privileged few.
‘Ojulari has moved NNPCL from an elites’ conspiracy of corruption to the saving grace of common citizens’ Agbese said.
‘What we are witnessing is not cosmetic reform. It is a deliberate effort to dismantle entrenched interests and rebuild the company as a national asset that serves the Nigerian people.’
He added that oil production had recovered contract reviews had reduced costs and remittances to the Federation Account had become more consistent.
According to him the improvements could provide resources for infrastructure security and social services across the country.
Agbese highlighted the reported increase in output by NNPC Exploration and Production Limited to multi-decade highs the restoration of monthly financial and operational reporting and progress on critical gas infrastructure including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline.
He also said timely cash-call payments and improved transparency had helped restore confidence among joint-venture partners and international investors.
The lawmaker noted that delayed financial obligations opaque contracting practices and underperforming assets had previously contributed to the loss of public resources.
He said the current management has introduced greater commercial discipline and accountability emphasising long-term value creation in line with the Petroleum Industry Act.
‘When NNPCL operates as a true commercial entity instead of a political patronage structure every Nigerian stands to gain’ Agbese said.
‘Higher crude and gas production generates more foreign exchange and stronger Federation Account inflows supporting the public services ordinary citizens rely on.
‘The difficult decisions on loss-making refineries the insistence on value-for-money in contracts and the public disclosure of audited results show that the old culture of elite entitlement is being confronted. Ojulari has demonstrated that focused and courageous leadership can turn a troubled institution into a source of national strength.’
He added that the reforms had begun attracting significant investment interest citing pipelines worth tens of billions of dollars linked to gas supply agreements and deepwater projects.
Agbese linked these developments to wider efforts to commercialise Nigeria’s gas resources and reduce over-reliance on crude oil.
The Deputy Spokesman urged sustained international partnership with the reformed national oil company arguing that greater transparency and commercial credibility created a more reliable foundation for collaboration between Nigerian institutions and global energy stakeholders.
‘What is happening at NNPCL today shows that meaningful reform is possible when leadership places the collective interest above sectional advantage’ Agbese said.
‘The company is no longer structured primarily to serve a narrow elite. It is being repositioned as an engine that generates revenue creates jobs and advances the aspirations of the wider citizenry.
‘I encourage our international partners to recognise and engage this new reality. A transparent efficient and commercially focused NNPCL strengthens energy security and opens partnership opportunities for all who share an interest in a stable and prosperous Nigeria.’
In his concluding remarks Agbese emphasised that the progress recorded so far must be protected and deepened.
He described Ojulari’s tenure as a critical period in which habits of secrecy and waste were being replaced by measurable performance and public accountability.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that continued reform would further raise upstream output accelerate gas commercialisation and ensure that the benefits of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources reach ordinary households rather than remaining concentrated among privileged networks.
‘The true test of leadership is whether institutions serve the many or the few’ Agbese concluded. ‘Under Bayo Ojulari NNPCL is beginning to pass that test.
‘The shift from elite conspiracy to citizen-centred value creation is underway and must be sustained. Nigeria’s energy future depends on protecting this trajectory.’