The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has denied allegations that its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, was involved in the award of an oil block to a company allegedly linked to his wife.
Industry sources said Ojulari had no role in the licensing process and lacked the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or grant petroleum licences.
They explained that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is responsible for administering upstream petroleum licensing under the Petroleum Industry Act, while the Minister of Petroleum Resources has the power to grant Petroleum Prospecting Licences.
The sources said Ojulari did not participate in the bidding process, assess applicants, select beneficiaries or approve the award of any oil asset.
The clarification followed claims by the Oil and Gas Professionals Forum that a company allegedly connected to Ojulari’s wife benefited from a marginal oil field award.
The NNPCL insiders said the allegations had not been supported with corporate records, beneficial ownership documents or licensing papers showing that Ojulari or his family influenced the award.
One senior industry source described the claims as an attempt to damage the NNPCL chief’s reputation and undermine his leadership.
The sources also linked the allegations to resistance from some business interests affected by reforms being implemented under Ojulari’s leadership.
According to them, measures aimed at reducing operating costs, improving financial discipline, strengthening corporate governance and increasing transparency in NNPCL’s commercial activities had affected some established interests.
However, the sources did not provide evidence identifying the individuals or companies they alleged were behind the campaign.
A senior NNPCL official, who spoke anonymously, also dismissed the allegations and said Ojulari had complied with relevant asset declaration and Code of Conduct requirements.
The official challenged those making the claims to provide verifiable evidence to the appropriate authorities instead of circulating what he described as unsubstantiated accusations.
The NNPCL leadership, the sources said, remains focused on improving the company’s efficiency, increasing production, reducing waste and strengthening accountability across its operations.
