President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejoiced with the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Mr Mele Kyari as he marked his birthday on January 8.
The President commended the diligence, passion and expertise the foremost geologist brings to tasks as one of the longest-tenured chief executives in the history of Africa’s most valuable energy company.
“Mele is a man of action, rather than words,” Tinubu said. “He is proactive in his approach. His ability to diagnose complicated problems with thoughtful and pragmatic solutions has created a path for him to continue rendering valuable service to our nation. I wish him a happy birthday.”
The President prayed that Almighty Allah grant the business executive more wisdom and strength in his service to Nigeria.
Happily, since he was appointed the head of the NNPC, Kyari has spearheaded a transformative effort to revolutionise the way the nation produces and distributes its most vital resources.
From the moment he assumed this position at the helm of the NNPC, Kyari has been driven by a fierce sense of purpose and an unshakable commitment to excellence. He knew that the challenges he faced were immense, but he also knew that he had the vision, the expertise, and the determination to overcome them.
And so, he set to work, implementing a series of bold and innovative reforms that have transformed the sector beyond recognition. Under his leadership, the NNPC has become a beacon of hope and a model of excellence.
Under Kyari’s leadership, the NNPC has entered into a partnership with Italian oil company, Eni, to rehabilitate and upgrade the refinery, with a target of achieving full production capacity.
In addition to the ongoing repairs of the Port Harcourt refinery, Kyari also initiated the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Warri and Kaduna refineries. When completed, the collective capacity of these refineries will significantly reduce the nation’s rate of fuel importation. It will save billions for the government, decrease the burden on petroleum marketers and spare Nigerians the agony of incessant fuel price hikes.
In addition, Kyari has overseen the implementation of several innovative initiatives designed to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of NNPC’s operations. These include the establishment of a new trading subsidiary, the creation of a new crude oil marketing division, and the implementation of a new performance management system.
So, as Kyari celebrates his birthday, Nigerians, like Tinubu, can only hope that he works harder to especially improve the state of the nation’s refineries for effective and cheaper oil production and supply and reposition the NNPC to compete with its peers in the global oil market for the benefit of our country.