The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, has given accolades to President Muhammadu Buhari for being the only president not to have interfered in the running of the corporation.

Kyari, on Tuesday disclosed this in a statement made by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, Sokoto while delivering Usman Danfodiyo University’s 2021 First Quarter Public Lecture Series titled, “Navigating Energy Transition and the Imperatives of University-Industry Collaboration.”

He said the current management “was so privileged to have a President who never interfered in what the NNPC does as a corporation.

“That is very unprecedented, and it has gone a long way to help us deliver on our mandate, especially the drive towards domestic gas utilization.”

Kyari, however, called on governments and institutions on the African continent to adopt technology and innovation to achieve energy sufficiency and its economic multiplier effect on their people.

He said “African Governments and institutions must rise to the occasion to leverage technology and innovation to support energy sufficiency, industrialization, job creation and economic growth.”

He added that “NNPC has set the necessary machinery to lead Africa in the transition to low-carbon energy and renewable. We are taking a firm position in this transition by institutionalizing the necessary enablers for success,”

 Also, NNPC has established a Renewable Energy Division and completely transformed the NNPC Research and Development (R&D) Division to NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation Centre as part of its key initiatives to transit to an Energy Company of Global Excellence.

Kyari revealed that the oil industry alone cannot drive substantial innovation without sustained collaboration with universities, research institutes, manufacturers, policymakers and regulators.

He said NNPC welcomes beneficial relationship with the academia and industry experts who demonstrate a capacity for productive research and innovation in the energy sector.

 According to him, the energy transition cannot be complete without the right investment climate, capital, effective regulation, stakeholder’s commitment, supportive infrastructure, and an innovative business environment that can accommodate the anticipated changes.

“The new energy transition must be fashioned towards creating a balanced landscape that supports the development and energy needs of diverse groups of people across the planet.” He said.