By Onogwu Muhammed

There is a growing campaign of allegations against the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, which deserves to be tested against the law, institutional responsibilities and verifiable data rather than insinuation.

The latest claims by the self-styled Oil and Gas Professional Forum, including allegations that Ojulari influenced associates to secure an Oil Mining Lease (OML) and that NNPC has become unproductive, raise fundamental questions about whether the critics understand Nigeria’s post-Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) regulatory framework.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the administration and award of petroleum prospecting licences and petroleum mining leases fall within the statutory mandate of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), subject to the provisions of the law.

Section 73 of the PIA further provides that petroleum prospecting licences and petroleum mining leases shall be granted through a fair, transparent and competitive bidding process in accordance with the Act, relevant regulations and licensing-round guidelines issued by the Commission.

NNPC, by contrast, operates as Nigeria’s national oil company with a distinct commercial mandate.

Conflating NUPRC’s regulatory responsibilities with NNPC’s commercial functions therefore risks creating a misleading impression about how petroleum licensing operates under the PIA.

Public officials and institutions should undoubtedly be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, but such scrutiny must be based on facts, evidence and the actual legal framework governing the sector.

Production figures tell a different story

The claim that NNPC under Ojulari has been unproductive is also difficult to reconcile with available production figures.

Average crude oil production, including condensates, rose from approximately 1.60 million barrels per day in April 2025 to 1.67 million barrels per day in April 2026, an increase of about 70,000 barrels per day.

Gas production also increased from approximately 7,354 million standard cubic feet per day in April 2025 to 7,729 mmscfd in April 2026, representing growth of about five per cent.

These figures do not suggest an organisation moving backwards.

Nigeria’s petroleum industry continues to face challenges including ageing infrastructure, under-investment, insecurity, production disruptions and operational bottlenecks, making sustained increases in crude and gas output significant.

If the Oil and Gas Professional Forum has contrary data demonstrating that NNPC’s performance has deteriorated, it should publish those figures and subject them to independent scrutiny.

Transparency must be measured by evidence

The allegation that NNPC lacks accountability also requires examination against its publicly available financial disclosures.

NNPC publishes regular financial and operational reports, providing figures that can be examined by investors, regulators and the public.

In June 2026, the company recorded ₦535 billion in profit after tax, up from ₦462 billion in May, while total revenue stood at ₦4.389 trillion.

Cumulative statutory payments to the Federation between January and June 2026 were reported at ₦6.286 trillion.

If these figures are disputed, critics should present the evidence supporting their claims rather than relying on broad allegations.

Accountability is ultimately about disclosure, measurable performance and the willingness to subject published figures to scrutiny.

Scrutiny must not become a weapon

There is nothing wrong with questioning NNPC’s leadership or demanding greater transparency from the national oil company.

What should concern Nigerians is the possibility that legitimate oversight could be turned into a tool in the broader contest for influence, access and commercial opportunities in an industry undergoing significant structural change.

Nigeria’s petroleum sector requires transparency, competition, effective regulation and institutional discipline.

It does not need manufactured allegations, selective statistics or narratives designed to undermine institutions without verifiable evidence.

If the allegations against Ojulari and NNPC are genuine, those making them should provide the documents, data and evidence necessary for independent scrutiny.

But where the law assigns petroleum licensing to NUPRC, production figures show measurable increases and NNPC is publishing substantial financial disclosures, sweeping claims of regulatory interference, non-productivity and lack of accountability require considerably more evidence than has so far been presented.

Nigeria deserves scrutiny of its petroleum industry, but that scrutiny must be evidence-based, legally grounded and directed at strengthening institutions rather than advancing private interests.

Onogwu Muhammed is a graduate of Chemical/Petroleum Technology, a legal practitioner, public policy analyst and public relations expert. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Energy and Oil and Gas. His research and professional interests span energy law, the oil and gas industry, public policy, corporate governance and regulatory affairs, with a particular focus on the legal and policy frameworks shaping Nigeria’s energy sector.