Industry insiders have firmly rejected allegations linking Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to any oil block or marginal field award, describing the claims as "deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable." The sources said neither Ojulari nor NNPCL holds the legal authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licences in Nigeria.
Legal Framework Excludes NNPC CEO
Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), upstream licensing falls under the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), while the power to grant a Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) belongs exclusively to the Minister of Petroleum Resources. This means Ojulari has no statutory role in the licensing process.
"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," a senior industry official said.
Allegations by Oil and Gas Professionals Forum
The controversy stems from claims made by a group operating under the name Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF), which alleged that a company connected to Ojulari's wife received a marginal oil field award. However, insiders say the group failed to produce any corporate documents, beneficial ownership records, or licensing papers to back the claim.
Sources described the allegation as a calculated move to damage Ojulari's reputation and build pressure for his removal, adding that those behind it are individuals whose commercial interests have been disrupted by tighter financial controls and transparency measures introduced under his watch.
"The attempt to link his family to an oil-block award is false and can easily be tested against official corporate and licensing records," a senior company official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said, ThisDay Live reports. "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."
Reform Backlash Behind Attacks
According to the insiders, the attacks on Ojulari grew sharper as NNPCL moved to improve transparency, enforce financial discipline, reduce operating costs, and review commercial arrangements considered wasteful. They said companies and individuals who previously benefited from weak institutional oversight are now pushing back.
"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."
The sources added that since taking office, Ojulari has focused on repositioning NNPCL as a commercially driven and operationally efficient company, pursuing stronger corporate governance and greater accountability across its operations. Insiders also confirmed he has complied with relevant asset-declaration and Code of Conduct requirements.
