Renowned political economist and Director of the Commonwealth Institute for Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Lagos, Prof. Anthony Kila, has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign from his role as Minister of Petroleum and take bolder steps beyond merely changing the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The NNPC, the state-owned oil company charged with managing Nigeria’s oil and gas resources for sustainable national development, recently underwent a major shake-up with the removal of its Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.
Reacting to the development, Prof. Kila — a widely respected public affairs commentator and professor of strategy and development— argued that the board changes alone were insufficient. “Changing the board is not enough and might not yield results if the NNPC does not undergo a proper rebirth built on accountability, transparency, and around a clear mandate of ensuring more refineries work in the country,” he said.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the limited information made available to Nigerians about the reasons behind the board reshuffle. “When changing the board of a company that belongs to all Nigerians, it would make more sense to provide full details to the public about why the President is changing the board and what we can expect from the new board. The details of this overhaul seem too scant to me,” Prof. Kila stated.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV, he made a direct appeal to President Tinubu to step aside from his position as Minister of Petroleum — a portfolio Tinubu currently holds alongside his role as President.
“In a country of over 200 million people, it does not make sense that one person should simultaneously be President and Minister of Oil or Minister of anything. I appeal to President Tinubu to recuse himself from this role and appoint a visible, dynamic Minister to act on his behalf or give more power to the ones we currently have as Ministers,” Prof. Kila urged.
