President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Baru is taking over from Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum, who now chairs the Board of the NNPC, as contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina.
The new board is composed seven northerners as against two from the south. Nobody is representing the oil producing communities. 
They are as follows
A. Chairman-Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum;
B. Group Managing Director-Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru;
C. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance(Alh. Mahmoud Isa Dutse); and
D. The following six persons:
1. Mallam Abba Kyari
2. Dr Thomas M.A John
3. Dr Pius O. Akinyelure
4. Dr Tajuddeen Umar
5. Mallam Mohammed Lawal, and
6. Mallam Yusuf Lawal.
President Buhari urges the new board to ensure the successful delivery of the mandate of the NNPC, ” and serve the nation by upholding the public trust placed on them in managing this critical national asset.”
