Lawmaker tells UK peers NNPCL reforms now serve ordinary Nigerians

A Nigerian lawmaker has told a committee of the British Parliament that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is being run for ordinary Nigerians rather than a privileged few.

Rep. Philip Agbese, Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, spoke at the House of Lords in Westminster about President Bola Tinubu's administration, according to The Punch's sister outlets The Sun and The Nation, which both reported the address.

He credited the company's Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, with reforms that he said had moved NNPCL away from years of opaque dealings and contracts that mainly benefited insiders.

"Ojulari has moved NNPCL from an elites' conspiracy of corruption to the saving grace of common citizens," Agbese said.

He described the changes as more than cosmetic, saying they were meant to rebuild the company as a national asset that serves Nigerians.

What the lawmaker says has changed

Agbese listed several gains he attributed to the current management:

• Output from NNPC Exploration and Production Limited has risen to multi-decade highs, he said.
• Monthly financial and operational reporting has been restored.
• Contract reviews have cut costs, and payments to the Federation Account have become more consistent.
• Cash-call payments to joint-venture partners are now timely, which he said has rebuilt confidence among partners and foreign investors.
• Work is progressing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.

He said the company was also taking a firmer line on loss-making refineries and publishing audited results, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act.

Agbese argued that these steps matter beyond the oil industry. Higher crude and gas production, he said, brings in more foreign exchange and stronger inflows into the Federation Account — money that helps fund infrastructure, security and social services.

"When NNPCL operates as a true commercial entity instead of a political patronage structure, every Nigerian stands to gain," he said.

He also pointed to growing interest from foreign energy companies, citing potential investments worth tens of billions of dollars tied to gas supply agreements and deepwater projects. Those figures were his own estimate; the sources did not provide a breakdown.

What happens next

Agbese urged international partners to engage more closely with NNPCL, saying a more transparent and commercially run company would open doors for investment and strengthen Nigeria's energy security.

He also warned that the gains need to be protected, arguing that the real test is whether the company keeps serving the many rather than the few.

For ordinary Nigerians, the practical question is whether these changes eventually show up in fuel supply, government revenue and jobs. The sources report the lawmaker's claims but do not include independent confirmation of the production and remittance figures.