How NNPC Is Expanding Its Social, Environmental Footprint

Peter Uzoho

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), expanded its social, environmental and cleaner-energy programmes in 2025, with initiatives ranging from new compressed natural gas stations and cataract surgeries to workforce training, climate-smart agriculture and large-scale tree planting.

Group Chief Executive Officer Bashir Bayo Ojulari said the company’s sustainability agenda was increasingly being translated into measurable programmes across communities and its operations.

The initiatives formed part of NNPC’s environmental, social and governance activities during the year, as the company sought to broaden the impact of its business beyond production and financial performance.

CNG network expands to 19 stations

One of the company’s cleaner-energy initiatives was the expansion of its compressed natural gas infrastructure. NNPC said it delivered nine new CNG sites during 2025, taking its total network to 19 stations.

The expansion is part of the company’s wider effort to increase access to cleaner energy and support the development of alternative fuels within Nigeria’s energy system. CNG has become an increasingly important component of Nigeria’s efforts to broaden the use of natural gas, particularly in transportation and other applications where gas can provide an alternative energy source.

For NNPC, the development of CNG infrastructure also creates a link between its gas resources and downstream energy consumption. The company’s strategy is to continue expanding cleaner-energy infrastructure alongside its traditional oil and gas operations.

Healthcare programme reaches thousands

NNPC’s social impact initiatives also included a major healthcare intervention. Ojulari said the company facilitated more than 6,000 cataract surgeries during the year. The programme forms part of the company’s efforts to support communities through interventions that address practical social needs.

Cataract-related visual impairment can affect people’s ability to work, study and participate fully in economic and social activities.

By supporting surgeries, NNPC said its programme was aimed at delivering direct benefits to beneficiaries in communities across Nigeria.

The initiative sits alongside other social programmes focused on skills, employment readiness and livelihoods.

More than 300,000 NYSC members receive training

The company also reported that more than 300,000 National Youth Service Corps members received financial literacy and workforce-readiness training. The programme was designed to provide participants with skills relevant to managing finances and preparing for employment and professional life.

The scale of the programme makes it one of the larger human-capital interventions highlighted in NNPC’s 2025 ESG activities.

The focus on workforce readiness also aligns with the company’s broader emphasis on talent development as it transforms into a commercially focused energy company.

For NNPC, the development of human capital is becoming increasingly important as the company expands into gas, power, trading, cleaner energy and other businesses requiring specialised skills.

Farmers targeted with climate-smart agriculture support

Agriculture was another area of NNPC’s community intervention.

The company said it supported more than 15,000 farmers with climate-smart agriculture and market-readiness training. The programme combines agricultural practices intended to improve resilience with training aimed at helping farmers understand and prepare for markets.

The emphasis on climate-smart agriculture also connects the company’s community activities with its wider environmental agenda. For rural communities, improving agricultural productivity and market access can have implications for household incomes and local economic activity. NNPC said the initiative formed part of its broader effort to create tangible community impact through its ESG programmes.

80,000 trees planted

Environmental stewardship was another major component of the company’s 2025 sustainability activities. NNPC Foundation planted 80,000 trees through its afforestation and reforestation initiative.

Tree planting formed part of the company’s response to environmental concerns and its longer-term sustainability objectives. NNPC also developed a Net Zero 2050 strategy during the year. The strategy is intended to provide a framework for the company’s longer-term decarbonisation efforts.  The company said it continued to participate in and report under key international sustainability frameworks, reinforcing its stated intention to align its activities with recognised ESG and sustainability standards.

Women account for 23 per cent of leadership

The company’s governance and workforce agenda also featured in Ojulari’s presentation. Women represented 23 per cent of NNPC’s leadership positions during the year, according to the GCEO.

Ojulari said the figure was above the global industry average of 17 per cent. The company presented the figure as part of its responsible corporate leadership agenda. It also maintained participation and reporting under international sustainability frameworks during the year.

NNPC said its efforts received recognition at the 2025 SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards, where it received awards across five categories.

ESG increasingly tied to business strategy

The sustainability initiatives are being incorporated into NNPC’s wider corporate strategy rather than treated as separate activities. Ojulari said the company would deepen ESG performance as it moves into the next phase of its development. 

The company’s strategy includes expansion in upstream oil and gas, gas transmission, LNG, gas-based industries, CNG and other cleaner-energy infrastructure. That means the company’s environmental agenda is increasingly connected to decisions about the future shape of its business.

The CNG expansion is one example. By increasing the number of CNG stations, NNPC is simultaneously developing gas infrastructure and supporting an alternative fuel source. The Net Zero 2050 strategy represents another component of that approach by establishing a longer-term framework for decarbonisation.

Social programmes complement commercial transformation

The ESG programme also provides a social dimension to NNPC’s broader transformation under the Petroleum Industry Act. The company has been repositioning itself as a commercially focused energy company, with greater emphasis on accountability, financial discipline and returns. At the same time, the GCEO said the company intends to maintain a broader stakeholder focus involving communities, employees and the environment.

The social initiatives disclosed for 2025 cover several areas: healthcare, youth development, agriculture, environmental restoration and cleaner energy. The breadth of the programmes reflects the size and geographical reach of NNPC’s operations across Nigeria.

 Sustainability agenda moves toward longer-term framework

The development of the Net Zero 2050 strategy indicates that NNPC is attempting to place its environmental initiatives within a longer-term framework rather than limiting them to annual projects. The company said the strategy would guide its decarbonisation efforts.

This comes alongside the continued reporting under international sustainability frameworks and participation in recognised ESG initiatives. The 80,000 trees planted during 2025 provide a more immediate environmental intervention, while the Net Zero strategy provides the longer-term direction.

The CNG programme similarly combines immediate infrastructure expansion with a wider shift toward cleaner-energy options. Together, the initiatives show that NNPC’s ESG agenda is being developed across multiple time horizons.

From programmes to measurable impact

Ojulari’s presentation placed particular emphasis on measurable outcomes. Rather than simply outlining broad sustainability commitments, the company disclosed specific figures for CNG stations, cataract surgeries, NYSC beneficiaries, farmers supported, trees planted and women’s representation in leadership. The numbers provide a snapshot of the scale of the company’s 2025 interventions.

The challenge going forward will be to sustain those programmes while integrating ESG considerations more deeply into NNPC’s commercial operations.

The company has said it intends to deepen ESG performance as it pursues growth across the integrated energy value chain. Its 2025 activities therefore represent both a continuation of existing community programmes and an attempt to link cleaner energy, environmental stewardship and human development more closely to the company’s long-term corporate strategy.