OREANDA-NEWS. Nigerian state-owned NNPC has made a series of managerial changes as it attempts to become a more commercially-focused oil and gas firm.

Four new group executive directors have been appointed following the arrival this month of new group managing director Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.

"Also in line with the aspiration to reposition the corporation, 12 personnel have been recruited from the private sector into the top management cadre to jump-start a new business outlook to enhance the operational environment as a profit-driven business as against the current civil service orientation," NNPC said.

The new group executive director appointments are Maikanti Baru as group executive director of exploration and production, Isiaka Abdulrazaq at finance and services, Dennis Nnamdi Ajulu at refining and technology and Babatunde Victor Adeniran at NNPC's commercial and investment unit.

"The new appointments are in line with the federal government's aspiration to transform the corporation into a lean, efficient, business-focused, transparent and accountable national oil company in keeping with international best practices," Kachikwu said.

The appointments were approved by president Muhammadu Buhari.

NNPC has faced criticism for the way it handles the country's oil and gas revenue and how the firm is managed. It has also struggled to meet its upstream joint venture costs with its main partners such as Shell and ExxonMobil because of limited funding by central government.

NNPC has also retired 38 top management staff, reducing the number of staff at this level from 122 to 83. Esther Nnamdi Ogbue has been made managing director of the PPMC downstream division, Chinedu Ezeribe managing director at NNPC's Warri oil refinery. NNPC earlier this month also appointed a new head of crude trading.

Buhari has appointed no petroleum minister since being sworn into office in May this year and is expected to keep the position himself.