A group of petroleum industry experts has criticized the recent appointment of Mr. Aminu Said Ahmed to the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), describing it as a violation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

In a statement signed by Mr. Abolade Adewale, Secretary of the PIA Watchdog Monitors, the group criticized the appointment of Ahmed — a Senior Manager at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) — as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR) representative on the NNPC Ltd Board.

Citing Section 59(2)(d) of the PIA, the experts argued that board representation from the MPR must be at least at the rank of a Director. Ahmed, they emphasized, is not only below the required grade but also not a staff member of the Ministry, which makes his nomination both illegal and institutionally inappropriate.

They further clarified that the NMDPRA, while under the petroleum sector umbrella, operates independently of the MPR and therefore cannot validly represent it on the NNPC Ltd Board.

“This appointment defies the spirit and letter of the PIA, which aims to ensure transparent and merit-based representation. It sets a dangerous precedent and weakens ministerial oversight,” the statement read.

The group also pointed out that the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) is represented on the board by its Permanent Secretary, in line with statutory provisions. They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restore balance and legality by appointing the Permanent Secretary of the MPR as its official board representative.

Additionally, the experts raised concerns about recent trends in which non-Ministry personnel are assigned to represent Nigeria at international petroleum forums such as OPEC. According to them, Section 3(1)(d) of the PIA empowers the MPR to lead such delegations. Bypassing the Ministry, they warned, undermines institutional memory and could harm Nigeria’s global energy reputation.

“All petroleum-related international appointments should be made through formal processes by the Minister, and limited to serving Ministry officials,” Adewale insisted.

The group called on the President to reverse the appointment of Aminu Said Ahmed and reaffirm his administration’s commitment to lawful governance and regulatory integrity in the petroleum sector.