By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has deployed more than 1,000 young professionals into its workforce following the successful completion of a one-year internship, intensive training and performance evaluation programme.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bayo Ojulari, announced the development in a post shared on the company’s social media platforms, describing it as a significant milestone in the national oil company’s drive to build a highly skilled and merit-driven workforce.
According to Ojulari, the newly deployed employees were selected after successfully completing a rigorous programme that combined practical internships, intensive training and comprehensive performance assessments.
“Today marked a huge milestone for us as we officially deployed over 1,000 young professionals into NNPC Ltd after one year of internship, intensive training, and evaluation,” he said.
The NNPC chief said the exercise underscored the company’s commitment to meritocracy, stressing that competence and performance—not personal connections or geographical background—now define opportunities within the organisation.
“Different paths, but the same door. And we opened it. That’s what NNPC Limited stands for today: not who you know or where you’re from, but what you can do,” Ojulari stated.
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He explained that while the successful candidates initially entered the company with offer letters, it was their dedication and performance throughout the internship period that earned them permanent deployment.
“Their offer letters got them in, but their work this past year kept them here. They proved themselves day after day, under real pressure, and that’s the standard we’re building. Talent. Hard work. Fairness,” he added.
Ojulari urged the new employees to contribute innovative ideas, speak up, challenge existing practices where necessary and take ownership of their professional development as the company continues its transformation.
Addressing the recruits, he said: “To the over 1,000 newly deployed: you are not just our future. You are our present. Our energy. Our proof. So don’t hesitate to lend your voice, share your opinions, and challenge the status quo. Own your development.
“But don’t forget the wait. Don’t forget the process. Because one day, when you’re sitting where I am, you’ll remember this moment, and you’ll open that same door for someone else.”
The deployment forms part of NNPC Ltd’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its human capital and deepen operational capacity following its transition into a commercially oriented national energy company under the Petroleum Industry Act.
The recruitment process was initiated in July 2024 during the tenure of former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, with the successful completion of the programme marking one of the company’s largest graduate talent development initiatives in recent years.
