The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced the appointment of a Chief Corporate Communications Officer; Olufemi Oladapo Soneye.
The company made the announcement through an October 18 statement signed by the management team. In the statement, the company said the decision to appoint Mr. Soneye is in line with the company’s brand penetration.
The official statement reads as follows:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Olufemi Oladapo Soneye as our Chief Corporate Communications Officer.
- “Mr. Soneye, a seasoned journalist with full-time and freelance experiences at some of the world’s most respected publications in Nigeria, Australia, and the United States of America, will lead our Corporate Communications team and drive our brand penetration, strategic communications initiatives, and stakeholder management.
- “He is a member of reputable bodies, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Guild of Corporate Online Media Publishers.
- “Mr. Soneye is the former President of the Nigerian Media Practitioners, Washington, D.C. We look forward to his valuable contributions to our Company.”
Note that the NNPCL has made some management changes in the recent past based on action steps for organizational renewal.
On September 17, the company appointed new executive Vice Presidents for the upstream, downstream and gas sectors;
- Oritsemeyiwa A. Eyesan, Executive Vice President, Upstream
- Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice President, Gas, Power, and New Energy
- Adedapo A. Segun, Executive Vice President, Downstream
Soon after, the company announced that in order to achieve strategic business goals, they were undertaking a vital process of rejuvenating their workforce.
As part of that effort, management staff members who were within 15 months of reaching their statutory retirement age were to leave the company, effective September 19, 2023.
Recall that in June 2023, the Energy and Natural Resources sub-committee, part of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Advisory Council, took proactive steps to drive essential reforms within the energy sector.
They established a tight 0 to 100-day timeline for the incoming administration to engage in a thorough search for capable, experienced, and reform-minded leaders to oversee the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The core objective of the initiative was to transform the NNPCL into a fully functioning commercial entity, aligning closely with the provisions outlined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The reforms are aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the energy sector, ultimately benefiting the nation’s economy and energy consumers