Ex-Chief Financial Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Umar Ajiya Isa, is an accountant of repute with over 30 years of outstanding public service career. In this piece, Yahaya Umar takes a look at the many achievements of the quintessential oil and gas chief who also holds the traditional title of Ajiyan Sokoto.
No doubt, Ajiya Isa’s impressive outing in the public sector has put Isa town in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where he comes from, on the global map.
His achievements cut across many sectors. Interestingly, like the golden fish which has no hiding place, Isa’s professional acumen did not only bring higher responsibilities in public service, but also back home where he was turbaned the Ajiyan Sokoto. A traditional title that befits him as a man of candour and reliability.
He did his mandatory national service at Peugeot Automobile, Kaduna, in 1987 where he distinguished himself before joining Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (now Total Nigeria) in 1988.
The young Isa’s career in the oil and gas industry went a notch higher when he joined NLNG in 1991.
Interestingly, at NLNG, he held several managerial positions including manager, Treasury, Finance Manager of BGT and then Marketing and Business Development manager.
In a sustained career progression owing to his managerial prowess, he joined the services of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as general manager, Commercial with LNG Division under the Gas & Power Directorate of NNPC.
He was responsible for the development of a business that led to the establishment of NNPC LNG Limited, a holding company for NNPC’s interest in the LNG Marketing Joint Ventures.
Furthermore, he was the pioneer managing director of West Africa LPG Limited, a trading Joint Venture between NNPC and Ocean Bed Limited, which now owns LPG vessels of its own.
He was appointed the Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, CP&S, of NNPC in March 2016.
It would be recalled that his achievements as the head of NNPC CP&S among others include the development of new business models for NNPC Autonomous Business Units and the resuscitation of NNPC Price Review Committee which ensures value protection through appropriate and competitive pricing of NNPC crudes, derivatives and products.
The Sokoto State born oil and gas icon was appointed managing director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of NNPC in July 2017.
In line with his tradition of excellence, Isa initiated and executed several reforms which transformed the company into a viable and profitable commercial entity.
The immediate past chief financial officer, NNPCL was born 59 years ago, precisely on March 12, 1965.
Isa, the son of the late Ajiyan Isa, had his Qur’anic education (Makarantan Alo) in Isa town at an early age, a practice in predominant Muslim cimmunities.
He attended Sardauna Primary School between 1972 and 1978 for his primary education before proceeding to the Federal Government College Wukari in Taraba State from 1978 to 1983 for his Secondary School education where he passed out with good grades. Subsequently, he was admitted to study accounting at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State where he graduated in 1987.
He was at the Lagos State University in 1998 for his Masters of Business Administration, MBA degree.
He is also an alumni of world class colleges and global business schools including Cambridge, Insead Business School of France, IESE Business School of Spain and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, among others.
The illustrious former public servant is a Fellow of several professional bodies, amongst which are the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, Institute of Credit Administration, ICA, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, as well as the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM.
The Ajiyan Isa is no doubt a man of many sides whose contributions to the oil and gas sector remains a shinning legacy.
