5 Facts You Need To Know About The New NNPC Boss

On Tuesday, August 4, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Below are five things you should know about the new NNPC boss.

1. He is from Delta state:

Kachikwu is a native of Onicha-Ugbo in Delta state. He is a philanthropist who has contributed greatly to the development of Onicha-Ugbo by taking on projects like building churches and schools and tarring the roads leading to the Lagos-Asaba Expressway, among many other accomplishments. He is currently the Odogwu of Onicha Ugbo.

2. Family:

He is married to Betty Kachikwu, who is the vice chairman of True Tales Publications. His daughter Nkemdili got married on January 31, 2015 at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. The event was attended by the former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida and a host of Nigerian celebrities including Banky W, D’banj, Flavour and Praiz among others.

Kachikwu and his wife Betty

3. Education:

He graduated with a First Class degree in law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was the best graduating student from the Nigerian Law School, winning seven of the available nine prizes in 1999. He holds a Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School. Kachikwu set a record with a Ph.D/SJD Harvard Distinction, specialising in Petroleum and Investment Law Strategies after completing his doctoral thesis in a record time.

4. Career:

He was the general counsel/legal adviser at Texaco Nigeria and Texaco Overseas Petroleum Co (1984 -1994); the general counsel/secretary of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (2001); the executive director of Exxon Mobil group of companies (2003). He has been the executive vice chairman/general counsel of Exxon Mobil Companies in Nigeria and the oversight counsel of the Exxon Mobil Companies in Africa since 2009. He also worked as an investment attorney in the United States.

5. His publications:

In 1989, Kachikwu pioneered romance journalism, a genre that explores romantic tales and relationship issues across the country. His magazine called Hints, a weekly publication by Kachikwu’s True Tales Publications Limited, was an instant success in the 1990’s. His other media empire includes Complete Fashion, Beauty Box, and Hello Nigeria.

He has also published several law books. He authored the best seller, Nigerian Foreign Investment Law and Policy and more than 20 other publications.