By Abiola Olawale
The appointment of Roland Ewubare as the Group Chief Operating Officer (GCOO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has sparked excitement, with the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, hailing the decision as a masterstroke by President Bola Tinubu.
Omo-Agege, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State said the appointment of Ewubare is a good development for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Omo-Agege, in a statement signed by Media Adviser Mr Sunny Areh, described Ewubare’s return to a top role at NNPCL as a “game-changer,” emphasizing his proven track record and expertise in the industry.
Omo-Agege said that with a sterling career starting at Schlumberger, an oilfield services company in its New York office, where he was a Global Corporate Counsel shortly after graduation from Harvard Law School, where he got a bird’s eye knowledge of oil and gas, Ewubare was prepared for a return to Nigeria where NNPC needed his requisite expertise.
His first stint at NNPC was also as a Group General Manager, NAPIMS and Chief Operating Officer overseeing Upstream and Ventures directorates before stepping down in 2020. He returned to the United States, where he built an additional impressive corporate career portfolio from working with different institutions across a diverse range of industries.
The statement reads in part: “The corporate experiences provide him exposure to make significant contributions to the oil and gas space in Nigeria. His combined knowledge of NNPC’s processes with a broader knowledge of global best business practices, a world view that makes him the ideal pick to drive President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious and realistic plan to boost investments in the oil and gas industry.
“I am very excited to have Mr. Ewubare back at NNPC which needs his revolutionary ideas and initiatives to put it on the right keel now that President Tinubu has given it the leverage to operate as a commercial entity. I thank the President for his bold vision in making the right calls and I am sure that with Ewubare as a member of the management team, the dream and vision will be realised.”
It would be recalled that Ewubare was appointed on April 4, 2025 following Tinubu’s reconstitution of the NNPCL board and management team, which saw Bashir Bayo Ojulari take over as Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing Mele Kyari.
The New Diplomat reports that Ewubare is a distinguished Nigerian lawyer and oil industry executive whose career has been marked by significant contributions to the nation’s petroleum sector.
Hailing from the oil-rich Niger Delta region, Ewubare earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Nigeria, followed by a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Business Law from Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London.
He furthered his legal education with another LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Additionally, he holds an Executive Certificate in High Performance Leadership from Oxford University.
His professional journey in the oil and gas industry is equally remarkable. Ewubare previously served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of NNPCL until May 2020, when he voluntarily stepped down. During his tenure, he oversaw the Upstream and Ventures directorates, driving key initiatives to enhance operational efficiency. Before that, he held the position of Group General Manager at NNPC’s National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS), where he managed Nigeria’s commercial partnerships with local and international oil companies, overseeing an annual budget exceeding $15 billion.
Beyond his corporate roles, Ewubare has shared his expertise as a visiting lecturer, teaching modules on Energy Policy and Climate Change at the University of Maryland in 2013 and the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021.
