Recruitment: Don’t divide Nigeria over NNNPCL, warns northern group

The Concerned Northern Forum has warned against attempts to use the business of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to sow ethnic and regional divisions, urging Nigerians to reject narratives that pit the North against the South.

Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna, the coordinator of the forum, Aliyu Muhammad, said recent reports on alleged irregularities in NNPC recruitment and suspension of frontier oil exploration in northern Nigeria are misleading and do not reflect the company’s true position.

He said the forum carefully examined the issues and clarifications issued by NNPC Ltd before arriving at its position.

“We reject in its entirety any attempt to use the assets of NNPC Limited to divide Nigerians along regional lines. Nigeria cannot afford narratives that undermine national unity at a time when collective progress should be our priority,” he said.

Muhammad explained that NNPC Ltd has not made any recent hiring or appointments of management staff, noting that the referenced appointments were made in the third quarter of 2025 and announced publicly at the time.

It described attempts to link those appointments to the employee exit plan implemented on June 30, 2026 as misleading, saying they were two separate company events.

According to him, the 2025 recruitment followed a competitive headhunting process aimed at filling critical vacancies requiring specialized skills, adding that the exercise was merit-driven, competency-based and conducted in line with the company’s approved workforce policies.

He also criticized reports that included people who had joined the company before the current management took over, describing the development as an attempt to sensationalise the issue and create unnecessary public suspicion.

On concerns over frontier oil exploration in northern Nigeria, Muhammad said NNPC Ltd has not suspended funding for exploration activities in the region.

He explained that the Petroleum Industry Act places the responsibility of financing frontier exploration on the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), while NNPC Ltd remains ready to carry out exploration activities as directed by the regulator.

He added that the Kolmani Integrated Development Project and other border basin projects remain strategic national priorities and that efforts are underway to advance them in a commercially viable manner.

“Northern Nigeria’s interests are not in danger. What is needed is patience, understanding and support for institutions working within the legal and regulatory framework,” he said.

The forum expressed confidence in the leadership and corporate governance structures of NNPC Ltd, insisting that there was no evidence that recruitment or capital allocation decisions had breached the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Petroleum Industry Act or the company’s internal regulations.

He urged Nigerians to verify information through official channels and avoid spreading unverified claims that could undermine national cohesion.

The group also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing what it described as the legal and policy framework that strengthened the accountability and business orientation of NNPC Ltd, urging him to sustain support for the company in the national interest.