…Ojulari Charges Staff to Make Company Proud at Oil Industry Games

Joel Ajayi

The 14th NNPC Ltd. Sports Fiesta ended on a spectacular note on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with Team Integrity emerging overall champions after a week of intense competition and camaraderie.

Representing the Port Harcourt and Benin Zones, Team Integrity dominated the final medals table with an impressive 31 gold, 18 silver and 21 bronze medals, in addition to winning nine trophies to cement their top position.

They were followed by Team Sustainability (Abuja and Kaduna Zones), which finished second with 15 gold, 26 silver and 23 bronze medals, while Team Excellence (Lagos and Warri Zones) placed third, securing 13 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze medals.

Speaking at the colourful closing ceremony, the Group CEO of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, applauded the athletes for their brilliant performances, describing the fiesta as a strong demonstration of the Company’s values of resilience, teamwork, and excellence.

Ojulari said NNPC Ltd was already looking forward to defending its long-standing dominance at the 20th Nigeria Oil & Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) coming up in February 2026.

“Let the discipline you showed throughout these games elevate our performance; let the unity you built here strengthen our teamwork; let the excellence you demonstrated become our daily standard,”
— GCEO, Bashir Bayo Ojulari

He expressed confidence that the top talents discovered at the Fiesta would strengthen the Company’s quest to remain the team to beat at NOGIG.

Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe, said the performance level witnessed throughout the Fiesta was a strong indication that NNPC Ltd would not only participate at NOGIG but would make a bold and lasting impression.

The 14th edition, themed “Energy In Motion: Compete, Connect & Celebrate,” featured 450 athletes competing in 13 sports, reflecting the Company’s commitment to promoting employee well-being as a driver of productivity.

Athletes battled across football, basketball, volleyball, chess, squash, scrabble, 8-ball pool, golf, tennis, table tennis, badminton, swimming and athletics. The event also served as a talent-selection platform for NNPC Ltd’s team ahead of NOGIG, where the Company has remained a serial champion.

At the last edition of NOGIG held in 2024, NNPC Ltd finished as overall winners with 50 medals — 20 gold, 9 silver and 21 bronze.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Suleiman Suleiman, described the 2025 Fiesta as a resounding success, citing quality competition, strong staff bonding and adherence to discipline.

“It has been beautiful and fun. There’s been a lot of competition and bonding because NNPC Ltd is a very big family. This festival brings everyone together,”
— Suleiman Suleiman, LOC Chairman

He emphasized that discipline remained a top priority for the organizers and praised the athletes for upholding the Company’s values. Suleiman confirmed that 12 of the 13 sports had concluded with only the final volleyball match ongoing at the time.

Reflecting on the achievements of the Fiesta, he said all set targets were fully met, noting that the energy and unity displayed were a true reflection of NNPC Ltd’s identity as the nation’s premier energy provider.

On future improvements, he assured that the LOC was committed to building on the successes recorded.

Looking ahead, Suleiman announced that preparations had already begun for the next major event — the NMPCL Games, scheduled for February 2026 in Kaduna.

“With the support of management and the commitment of staff, the next edition will reflect the best of NMPCL,” he assured.

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