Maryamu Idris, Managing Director of NNPC Trading Limited, has been appointed as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), placing her at the intersection of domestic oil management and international energy policy.

The appointment was confirmed in a statement released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Thursday.

“We congratulate Maryamu Idris, Managing Director of NNPC Trading Limited, on her appointment as the National Representative for Nigeria at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC),” NNPCL said in the statement.

In her new role, Idris will continue to lead NNPC Trading Limited while representing Nigeria on the OPEC Economic Commission Board (ECB). She is expected to contribute to technical deliberations and policy recommendations that will shape both national and global energy strategies.

Her responsibilities will include coordinating closely with the OPEC Governor for Nigeria, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NNPC Limited, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to ensure that Nigeria’s interests are effectively represented.

Idris’ appointment comes at a time when Nigeria seeks to strengthen its influence within OPEC and align domestic oil management with broader international energy trends. Analysts note that her technical expertise and extensive experience in the sector will be central to Nigeria’s engagement with the organisation.

Idris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, and a Master of Science in Energy Economics from the University of Dundee, Scotland. Her career in the oil and gas industry spans more than two decades, beginning in 1999 with the Bureau of Public Enterprises as an Enterprise Officer. Between 2006 and 2009, she served as Petroleum Economist and Trust Fund Adviser at the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, contributing to transparency initiatives within the sector.

She later joined NNPC, where she rose through key positions in the Crude Oil Marketing Division, including Supervisor of Market Research from 2014 to 2017, Deputy Manager of Pricing and Performance from 2018 to 2020, and Manager of Pricing and Valuation from 2021 to 2022. At NNPC Trading Limited, she served as Executive Director of Crude and Condensate from 2022 to 2024 and Executive Director of Planning and Commercial from 2024 to 2025 before being appointed Managing Director in April 2025.

Observers say her dual role at NNPC Trading Limited and as Nigeria’s OPEC representative positions her to play a key part in bridging domestic energy priorities with the organization’s global policy agenda, ensuring that technical decisions and policy recommendations reflect Nigeria’s strategic interests in the international oil market.