The Concerned Northern Forum has dismissed allegations of ethnic bias in the recruitment and operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, warning against attempts to exploit the issue to fuel regional divisions and undermine national unity, Arewa PUNCH reports.
The group also expressed confidence in the leadership of NNPCL, saying there was no evidence that the company’s recruitment process or capital allocation decisions breached existing laws or corporate governance standards.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the Convener of the forum, Aliyu Muhammad, said recent reports alleging irregularities in NNPCL’s recruitment exercise and the suspension of frontier oil exploration projects in Northern Nigeria were misleading and capable of creating unnecessary tension.
According to him, the forum reviewed the allegations alongside the clarifications issued by the national oil company before arriving at its position.
“We reject in its entirety any attempt to use the activities 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,” Muhammad said.
He argued that the report sought to pitch the North against the South by misrepresenting the activities of an institution that belongs to all Nigerians.
Muhammad explained that contrary to the allegations, NNPCL had not conducted any recent recruitment or appointed senior management staff.
He noted that the appointments referenced in the reports were made in the third quarter of 2025 and publicly announced at the time.
“It is grossly misleading to resurrect a recruitment exercise that is nearly a year old and link it to the Employee Exit Scheme that took effect on June 30, 2026. These are two separate corporate events,” he stressed.
The forum maintained that the 2025 recruitment followed a competitive headhunting process approved under the company’s workforce policy to fill critical vacancies requiring specialised expertise.
According to him, the exercise was merit-driven, competency-based and designed to strengthen the company’s ongoing transformation agenda.
“The process was strictly merit-driven, competency-based and tied to approved workforce plans. The suggestion that competence should be sacrificed for any other consideration is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians who desire a national oil company that works,” he added.
He also faulted the inclusion of names of employees who joined the company before the current management assumed office, describing it as a deliberate attempt to sensationalise the issue and mislead the public.
On concerns over frontier oil exploration in Northern Nigeria, Muhammad said NNPCL had not suspended funding for exploration activities in the region.
He explained that under the Petroleum Industry Act, responsibility for funding frontier exploration rests with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, while NNPCL remains responsible for carrying out exploration activities in line with regulatory directives.
“The Kolmani Integrated Development Project and other frontier basin projects are strategic national priorities, and the company is actively engaging partners and stakeholders to move them forward in a commercially viable manner,” he said.
Muhammad, thus urged Northerners not to interpret the current funding arrangement as a deliberate attempt to sideline the region.
“The interests of the North are not under threat. What is required is patience, understanding and support for the institutions that are working to balance commercial viability with national development,” he maintained.
The forum reaffirmed its confidence in the governance structure of NNPCL, insisting that appointments and investment decisions were subject to rigorous oversight under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Petroleum Industry Act and the company’s internal governance framework.
“We have seen no evidence to suggest these structures have been breached,” Muhammad stated.
The group called on Nigerians to verify information through official channels and avoid spreading unverified claims capable of undermining national cohesion.
It also commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as creating the legal and policy framework that had strengthened accountability and commercial governance within NNPCL.
The forum urged the President to continue supporting the national oil company to achieve its transformation objectives.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the development follows recent public debates over allegations that NNPCL’s recruitment process favoured certain regions of the country and that funding for frontier oil exploration projects, particularly the Kolmani Integrated Development Project spanning Bauchi and Gombe states, had been suspended.
The controversy also came amid discussions surrounding NNPCL’s ongoing workforce restructuring, including an employee exit scheme implemented on June 30, 2026.
However, NNPCL has insisted that no fresh recruitments were carried out in connection with the restructuring programme and has insisted that its recruitment and investment decisions are guided by merit, corporate governance principles and the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.