The end of the glorious career of Mele Kyari at the NNPC and later, NNPCL, is such that he left the organization with his head held high despite all the challenges and complex Nigerian factors that manifested throughout his long career in the oil and gas industry.
His service was full of activities, and he proved to be an oil man who knew the industry inside out.
His grasp of the intricacies of the Nigerian and, indeed, global energy sector is undeniably superb. His deep knowledge of the industry enabled him to contribute and achieve a lot as the top man in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
His achievements for Nigeria at the NNPC are truly impressive and a source of happiness and self-actualization for him. Prior to his appointment as GMD of the NNPC by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Kyari was in the Crude Oil Marketing Division, serving as Group General Manager and simultaneously as Nigeria’s national representative to OPEC. He is respected for the legacy he left there.
As the Group Managing Director of the NNPC and later NNPC Limited, Malam Kyari’s notable achievements include the first-ever declaration of profit by the organization after nearly 45 years of operations in 2020. It was record-breaking and set a standard that should be emulated. The corporation is now a profit center for its shareholders.
His tenure intensified exploration activities in the inland basins to boost the country’s proven oil reserves. This effort yielded the desired result when over a billion barrels of crude were discovered in the two Kolmani River wells in the northeastern states of Bauchi and Gombe.
Consequently, then-President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off a $2 billion Kolmani Integrated Development Project (KIPRO) on 22nd November 2022. Current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then a presidential candidate, was at the event.
The project comprises a medium-sized refinery, a liquefied gas processing plant, a urea fertilizer factory, and a power generation house to supply electricity to the complex and neighboring communities.
His policy of promoting transparency and accountability in running the organization has set a standard. He was able to institute the publication of audited annual reports. The public now knows what is going on in the oil and gas sector.
Nigerians have commended Mele Kyari for his active role in the process of passing the PIA in 2020. The Act seeks to transform the NNPC into a limited liability company operating under best industry practices.
Malam Mele Kolo Kyari has made a consistent effort to rehabilitate Nigeria’s public crude oil refineries located in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri. He has created strategic partnerships with reputable companies to revamp the refineries.
Under his leadership of the oil and gas sector, there is a marked increase in domestic consumption of gas. Kyari promoted domestic gas utilization, and new outlets for cooking gas have sprouted all over the country. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is gradually gaining popularity as motorists convert their vehicles from petrol-burning to using cheap CNG.
The AKK Pipeline Project, spanning Kogi, FCT, Niger, and Kaduna to reach Kano, is designed to deliver gas to three power-generating stations that are part of the AKK package. Laying the pipeline has reached Kano.
It is known that the largest power-generating plants in Nigeria are already fired by natural gas from NNPCL. The stations include Egbin Power Station, a 1,320 MW-capacity facility located in Lagos; the Alaoji Thermal Power Station, with a 1,074 MW capacity in Abia State; and the Afam Thermal Power Station I-V, with an installed capacity of 987.20 MW in Rivers State.
The Ughelli Thermal Power Plant, with a capacity of 964.68 MW, is located in Delta State. It also uses gas to generate electricity, as does the Olorunsogo II Power Plant in Ogun State, which has the capacity to generate 750 MW of electricity.
NNPC revenue rose to N24 trillion in 2023 under his watch, and it is believed to be on the upswing.
The NNPCL deployed technology to detect and swiftly act on any breach of the NNPC crude pipelines in the Niger Delta. This, coupled with pipeline surveillance by private security organizations, has reduced the number and frequency of pipeline breaches used to steal crude oil.
Mele Kyari led the NNPC to reach an agreement with its partners, China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) and South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETROL). He stated that the move was part of efforts to meet the target of three million barrels of crude oil output per day and unlock gas revenues of about $225 million.
Mele Kolo Kyari, whom this author has never met, left an indelible positive record and legacy at the NNPCL. This justifies saying that he retired from the NNPCL with his head held high.
Danbatta is a senior journalist.
