President Bola Tinubu has placed Ahmadu Musa Kida, a longtime associate of billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, at the helm of Nigeria’s most important state-owned enterprise—the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. This decision marks more than a routine leadership change. It signals the increasing dominance of a tight network of politically connected businessmen in Nigeria’s oil and infrastructure sectors.
Kida now serves as the chairman of NNPC, which oversees the country’s vast petroleum resources. President Tinubu appointed him in April 2025, shortly after dismissing 11 senior NNPC officials, including former Group CEO Mele Kyari and former Chairman Pius Akinyelure. The sweeping reorganization allows Tinubu to consolidate power within Nigeria’s most critical economic institution while raising questions about the growing influence of private allies like Chagoury.
Chagoury’s Business Network Elevates Kida’s Rise
Musa Kida’s corporate history ties him closely to Chagoury’s business empire. He worked for years with ITB Nigeria, a major construction firm in the Chagoury Group. In March 2025, ITB secured a $700 million contract to redevelop the Tin Can and Apapa seaports in Lagos. The federal government approved the deal without public bidding, sparking widespread concern over transparency.
Kida also chairs Ponticelli Nigeria, the local affiliate of French engineering firm Ponticelli Frères, which Chagoury controls. Additionally, Kida holds a non-executive director role at TotalEnergies Nigeria, even after his appointment to NNPC’s board. His continued presence on Total’s board raises conflict of interest concerns, given Total’s extensive operations in Nigeria and its historical ties to Chagoury.
Chagoury has long acted as a broker for Total’s Nigerian operations. In 2009, he helped the company acquire the Akpo oil field. In 2023, he reportedly assisted in securing the renewal of Total’s oil production licenses. Kida’s ties to both NNPC and Total, with Chagoury in the middle, create a powerful triangle of influence.
Tinubu Asserts Control by Reshaping NNPC Leadership
President Tinubu used his executive power to overhaul NNPC’s leadership on April 2, 2025. He removed key figures appointed just months earlier, including Akinyelure, and installed a new board led by Kida as chairman and Bashir Bayo Ojulari as Group CEO.
Ojulari, a former Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) executive, comes from Lagos and speaks both Yoruba and Hausa. His appointment appears to balance regional and ethnic considerations, but insiders say Tinubu initially considered Kida for the top role before settling on Ojulari.
Tinubu also elevated Adedapo Segun, a finance expert who had recently replaced NNPC’s CFO, to the board. By reshuffling the leadership with loyal and familiar figures, Tinubu has brought NNPC directly under his influence—while reinforcing the growing presence of Chagoury-linked actors at the center of Nigeria’s oil economy.
The Omotowa Brothers Strengthen Insider Networks
President Tinubu further tightened his grip by appointing Babs Omotowa, the former Managing Director of Nigeria LNG (NLNG), as a non-executive director of NNPC. Babs’s younger brother, Oluwaseyi Omotowa, currently heads NNPC’s upstream investment arm, NUIMS. The brothers now hold key positions across both the company’s strategic investment and governance layers.
Their presence highlights the administration’s reliance on close personal and familial networks—a hallmark of Tinubu’s political style. Critics argue that such appointments undermine institutional integrity and entrench favoritism within Nigeria’s most vital industries.
Chagoury Wins Billions in Government Contracts
Chagoury’s companies continue to dominate federal infrastructure contracts under the Tinubu administration. In March 2025, ITB Nigeria landed a $700 million contract to upgrade Lagos’s Tin Can and Apapa ports. The government approved the contract during a Federal Executive Council meeting and arranged funding through a Citibank Nigeria loan backed by UK Export Finance.
Just weeks earlier, the administration awarded a staggering N15 trillion contract to Hitech Construction Company, another Chagoury-owned firm, to build the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. This project will span eight years and cover 700 kilometers, making it one of Nigeria’s largest-ever infrastructure undertakings.
The Ministry of Works, led by Dave Umahi, justified Hitech’s selection by citing its role in constructing Eko Atlantic—a privately financed coastal city in Lagos. Despite the contract’s size and importance, the government skipped competitive bidding, fueling criticism of favoritism and opacity.
Chagoury’s Close Ties to the Presidency
Gilbert Chagoury has used his deep relationships within Nigeria’s elite to maintain his influence across successive administrations. He supported Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign and holds close ties to the president’s family. Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, sits on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a Chagoury-owned ceramics firm.
Chagoury’s consistent presence in Tinubu’s orbit reflects more than business alignment—it demonstrates political partnership. Observers expect him to play a major role in Tinubu’s anticipated 2027 re-election campaign, further cementing his role as a kingmaker within Nigerian politics.
A Checkered Past: From Abacha Ally to Political Powerbroker
Chagoury’s current prominence belies a controversial past. During the Sani Abacha military regime, he amassed wealth by operating as a key business associate of the dictator. After Abacha’s death, Swiss authorities found Chagoury guilty of laundering stolen funds on the regime’s behalf. In 2000, he returned $66 million to the Nigerian government to resolve the case, though he denied knowingly handling illicit money.
In the United States, Chagoury also faced legal trouble. The U.S. government placed him on a no-fly list over alleged links to a Lebanese political movement with ties to Hezbollah. In 2019, Chagoury paid $1.8 million in fines to settle a U.S. investigation into illegal campaign donations. One recipient, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, was convicted of lying to federal agents and resigned.
Despite these controversies, Chagoury has rebuilt his reputation in Nigeria by securing high-level political backing and positioning himself as an indispensable development partner.
What This Means for Nigeria
President Tinubu’s latest moves show a clear strategy: concentrate control over Nigeria’s oil and infrastructure sectors in the hands of trusted allies. The appointments of Musa Kida, Babs Omotowa, and other insiders, alongside the awarding of multibillion-naira contracts to Chagoury-owned firms, reflect a deepening fusion of state power and private influence.
As Chagoury expands his footprint in oil, construction, and logistics, concerns grow over the erosion of transparency and competition in public procurement. With elite networks consolidating wealth and influence, many Nigerians worry that the country’s strategic industries now serve the interests of a powerful few rather than the broader public.
President Tinubu now faces a critical test: will he uphold principles of accountability and good governance, or allow entrenched interests to shape Nigeria’s future behind closed doors?
