The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Bashir Ojulari, has called on the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to promote stronger regulatory discipline as a pathway to stability, growth and sustainable development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Ojulari made the call on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in Abuja while speaking at the opening of the 2026 PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit (PEALS 2026).
The summit, organised by PENGASSAN, is themed, “Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks as a Catalyst for Stability and Growth in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry.”
The NNPC chief executive said effective regulation was not only dependent on well-designed policies but also on professionalism, accountability, good governance and disciplined implementation.
He said the people responsible for implementing regulatory frameworks were central to determining whether such frameworks would deliver the desired outcomes.
Ojulari described workers as the most important asset of any organisation, noting that PENGASSAN members play critical roles in the operations, safety, governance and national energy security of the country.
He reaffirmed NNPC Limited’s commitment to creating a people-centred organisation where employees are valued, motivated and provided with an environment that enables them to thrive.
According to him, the company’s core values, including an enterprise-first mindset, execution excellence, profitable growth and partnership, can only be sustained when employees are properly treated, engaged and motivated.
Ojulari urged industry stakeholders to ensure that decisions affecting the sector were guided by facts, sound governance principles and established rules, while protecting the long-term interests of their organisations and the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
He challenged stakeholders to confront practices capable of undermining the stability and growth of the sector.
“Are we challenging waste, indiscipline and recklessness wherever they threaten the stability and growth of our sector?” he asked.
The GCEO consequently advocated for regulatory discipline to become a shared standard across the country, stressing that sustainable growth in the petroleum industry required collective responsibility.
He noted that sectoral stability could not be achieved through regulation and enforcement alone, but must also include a workforce that is valued, fairly treated and adequately motivated.
Ojulari said NNPC Limited was taking steps to improve its employee value proposition and urged PENGASSAN leaders and members to maintain constructive engagement with the government and other industry stakeholders.
He further stressed the importance of keeping workers’ welfare, dignity and interests at the centre of discussions and policy decisions affecting the petroleum sector.
According to him, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry can only achieve sustained growth when strong regulatory frameworks are supported by disciplined execution, responsible conduct and trusted partnerships among stakeholders.
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Ojulari reaffirmed NNPC Limited’s readiness to work with PENGASSAN and other stakeholders to strengthen stability, promote growth and advance sustainable development across the industry.
Also speaking at the summit, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Dingyadi, called for robust regulatory frameworks to strengthen stability, attract investment and promote equitable growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Dingyadi said effective regulation was essential for the responsible management of the country’s petroleum resources, the protection of workers, and the improved competitiveness of the industry.
He also stressed the importance of stable labour relations, describing them as critical to maintaining stability and productivity within the oil and gas sector.
“Strong regulatory frameworks are the bedrock upon which stability, investor confidence and equitable growth are built,” the minister said.
The summit brought together key stakeholders from government, labour and the oil and gas industry to deliberate on ways of strengthening regulation, improving industrial relations and creating an environment capable of supporting sustainable investment and growth in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
