Tinubu fires important message to ex-NNPC GMD Gaius-Obaseki

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, who clocks 80 on 25 November.

He described him as a dedicated technocrat whose career left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

In a congratulatory message released on Monday, the President said attaining the age of 80 was a “rare blessing” and an opportunity to celebrate a life defined by “decades of hard work, diligent service, and the pursuit of excellence.”

Tinubu commended Gaius-Obaseki’s rise through the ranks of the national oil company, beginning as a geologist in the former Nigerian National Oil Company before the institution evolved into the NNPC.

“You rose to become the first manager of the National Reserve Evaluation Project by dint of dedication and industry,” the President said.

The President highlighted several milestones in the celebrant’s career, including his appointment as Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company and later Group General Manager of the Crude Oil Marketing Division in 1998, adding that his career pinnacle came in 1999 when he was appointed Group Managing Director of the NNPC, a position in which he led major reforms aimed at modernising the sector.

Tinubu recalled that under Gaius-Obaseki’s leadership, the NNPC implemented ambitious initiatives spanning deep-offshore development, gas expansion, pipeline and depot construction, refinery rehabilitation, LNG progress and international petroleum diplomacy.

“You made enduring impressions and exceptional impact across onshore-to-offshore operations,” the message read.

The President further praised the former GMD for initiating key operational and legal reforms, advancing external marketing strategies, and driving the construction of NNPC mega stations, projects that, he noted, continue to shape the corporation’s legacy.

“Indeed, many still talk about your enduring legacy at NNPC to this day,” Tinubu stated, commending Gaius-Obaseki’s “brilliance, diligence, and patriotism.”

As the former NNPC boss joins the ranks of octogenarians, the President prayed for his continued health and long life.

“I pray that God Almighty will grant you continued strength and the grace of more years in good health,” he said.