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 statement shared on the company’s official social media platforms, describing the exercise as a significant milestone in the organisation’s drive to build a skilled and merit-driven workforce.
According to Ojulari, the newly deployed employees earned their appointments after undergoing a rigorous selection process that combined practical internships, intensive training and continuous 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 boss stressed that the recruitment process reflected the company’s commitment to merit, competence and fairness, rather than personal connections or geographical considerations.
“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.
He explained that while the interns were initially admitted into the programme through offer letters, it was their dedication, resilience and performance over the past year that secured their 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 encouraged the newly deployed staff to be innovative, contribute ideas and take ownership of their professional development as they begin their careers with the national energy company.
He also urged them to remember the opportunities they had received and, in the future, create similar opportunities for others.
“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,” he said.
The deployment forms part of NNPC Ltd’s broader efforts to strengthen its workforce and deepen institutional capacity following its transition into a commercially oriented national energy company under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The company had announced plans to recruit a new generation of professionals in July 2024 under the leadership of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, with the internship programme serving as the pathway to permanent employment.