NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Engr Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua has reiterated his optimism that the proposed reform of the nation’s oil and gas sector would bring about better efficiency in the corporation. The reform, when completed, would enable NNPC operate in accordance with international best practices like other National Oil Companies. The Group Managing Director stated this when he received the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Luka Yusuf who paid him a courtesy visit at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

He said that since the reform would give the NNPC the leverage to operate fully as a commercial venture, generating revenue and profit for its shareholders, it could either succeed or crash.

Engr. Yar’Adua remarked that the proposed reform of the oil and gas industry was better for the economy of the country as it would lead to the development of the required manpower for the sector. He told the chief of Army staff however that one of the constraints facing the entire industry was the Niger Delta Crisis which he said has created a very critical situation for both the NNPC and the nation. According to him, industries in Kaduna and Kano states were already closing shop owing to the high cost of energy. He added sadly that this was also affecting Lagos.


The GMD who lauded the Nigerian Army for impounding about 30 tankers loaded with stolen petroleum products at Ijebu Ode, assured the chief of Army Staff of NNPC’S support for the effort of the army. He said that the NNPC has spent over 750 million dollars within the last five years to support army operations in safe-guarding the nation’s oil installations, adding that the corporation was ready to do more.

Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Luka Yusuf assured that without adequate security in place, it would be impossible to effectively carry out oil and gas business activity. He said that the inhabitants of the Niger Delta were Nigerians and that the army was not there to fight them but to ensure that economic activity in the country was not grounded. He enjoined the GMD to look inwards if efforts at ending vandalism of oil and gas installations belonging to the NNPC were to be successful.

The chief of Army Staff also noted that some of the laws guiding oil operations in the country should be reviewed if the crisis in the area was to be addressed properly. He assured that with the provision of adequate logistics, the army could offer lasting solutions to the Niger Delta Problem.