The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has urged Nigerians to reject attempts to politicise the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) recruitment process, warning against narratives capable of creating regional and ethnic divisions.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, the Convener of the forum, Aliyu Muhammad, described allegations of lopsided recruitment in the national oil company as misleading and capable of pitching the North against the South.
He explained that the appointments being referenced were made in the third quarter of 2025 following a merit-based recruitment exercise approved by the company’s board, and were unrelated to the Employee Exit Scheme implemented on June 30, 2026.
According to him, NNPC Ltd has not conducted any recent recruitment or senior management appointments, stressing that linking last year’s recruitment to the recent staff exit programme was a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.
The forum also dismissed claims that oil exploration activities in Northern Nigeria had been suspended, noting that under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), funding for frontier exploration is the responsibility of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), while NNPC Ltd remains committed to supporting the Kolmani Integrated Development Project and other frontier basin initiatives.
The CNF maintained that NNPC Ltd is a national institution that belongs to all Nigerians and should not be viewed through ethnic or regional interests.
It expressed confidence in the company’s leadership, stating that its recruitment, appointments and investment decisions were guided by the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the policy and legal framework that had strengthened the commercial and governance structure of NNPC Ltd.
It also urged Nigerians to verify information through official channels and avoid narratives capable of undermining national unity.
Fatima Aliyu, Radio Nigeria.
