NNPC, Institute Of Directors Explore Stronger Governance Ties

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria (CIoD) have agreed to explore deeper collaboration aimed at strengthening corporate governance and improving organisational performance across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.

The discussions followed a visit to NNPC Towers in Abuja by a CIoD delegation led by the chairman of the institute’s Abuja Zone, Rose Eshiett.

A post on NNPC’s X handle on Saturday said they were received by NNPC’s executive vice president, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe.

During the meeting, both sides emphasised the role of sound governance and leadership practices in driving sustainable performance, particularly for large, complex organisations like NNPC. They also explored ways to align CIoD’s training and certification programmes with NNPC’s ongoing governance and capacity-building efforts.

CIoD’s mandate and potential impact

The Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria is the country’s professional body for directors, with a mandate to promote best practices in boardroom conduct, director training, and certification. Its programmes focus on equipping board members and senior executives with the skills needed to oversee strategy, risk, compliance, and performance.

Tailored governance training for NNPC board members and senior managers.

Joint initiatives on director certification and continuous professional development.

Knowledge-sharing on global and local governance standards relevant to the energy sector.

As Nigeria’s national oil company transitions into a more commercially driven entity under the Petroleum Industry Act, strong corporate governance is central to investor confidence, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation. Engaging CIoD signals NNPC’s intent to institutionalise board excellence and align its leadership practices with international benchmarks.

Both NNPC and CIoD indicated that further working sessions would follow to convert the discussed opportunities into concrete programmes and partnerships.