‘Over 70% of eligible NNPC staff seek exit’

“Over the past year, we began an important recalibration of our organisation as part of our broader transformation,” Ojulari said. “As we build momentum on this journey, it is essential that our workforce continues to evolve in line with the future we are building.”

He further clarified that the AES targets employees due for retirement by 2026, while the VES covers staff scheduled for statutory retirement in 2027, as well as employees on grade level SS1 expected to retire between 2028 and 2030.

“These programmes form part of our deliberate efforts to responsibly manage workforce transitions while creating the right conditions for organisational renewal and long-term sustainability,” he noted.

However, a senior NNPC official familiar with the scheme explained that participation is entirely optional, stressing that no employee is being compelled to leave the organisation. The source maintained that the scheme was neither targeted at specific individuals nor unprecedented within the organisation.

According to the official, the programme was introduced for two reasons: to provide workers approaching retirement with an opportunity to leave the system earlier under more favourable terms while creating room for fresh talent to join the company.

“I am sure you know what the scheme is about. There are staff of the NNPC who are due to retire in five years or three years. There are also people retiring by the end of this year. The company opened a scheme for them to take early retirement, and this happens everywhere,” the official said.

The official stressed that employees eligible for the programme retained the right to decline the offer without any consequences. “Some who are due to retire at the end of this year or in two years can say that they are not interested. People are not being forced to leave. It is voluntary,” the source emphasised.

The NNPC official also linked the programme to the company’s broader efforts to rejuvenate its workforce and ensure continuity through strategic recruitment. According to the source, the company recruited more than 1,000 employees last year, and the retirement initiative would further create opportunities for young professionals to grow within the organisation.

“For the organisation, it opens up space to bring in younger people to take up roles. Recall that last year, the company employed over 1,000 persons who are now in the system,” the official said. “So, it helps people who want to take early retirement to do so and take up something different with their lives.”

Providing insight into the level of acceptance of the initiative among eligible staff, the source said initial indications suggested that the programme had recorded significant success.