The Return of Roland Ewubare – THISDAYLIVE

In Nigeria, comebacks are rare and second chances rarer. Therefore, Roland Ewubare’s return as Group Chief Operating Officer (GCOO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is both unexpected and seismic.

Five years ago, Ewubare walked away from Nigeria’s oil epicenter during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. His abrupt resignation from NNPC amid swirling rumours (ranging from health concerns to executive fallout) marked a sudden end to a towering public career. His farewell note was simple: he was going to the U.S. to be with family. And just like that, one of Nigeria’s most accomplished oil technocrats disappeared from the scene.

But figures like Ewubare do not retire quietly. A Harvard-trained lawyer with a corporate pedigree spanning Schlumberger, Skadden Arps, and key NNPC roles, he was always more than a bureaucrat—he was the rare “inside outsider,” navigating Nigeria’s oil bureaucracy with global precision and local nuance. Industry veterans never stopped speculating: would he return?

That question has now been answered.

Little wonder Olorogun Bernard Okumagba, former Delta State Finance Commissioner, hailed Ewubare’s comeback as “a testament to his strategic vision and operational depth.” His appointment, Okumagba asserted, aligns squarely with President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious restructuring of NNPC—particularly the mandate to reposition the corporation for profitability, transparency, and investor confidence.

Ewubare’s re-entry is more than a high-profile personnel shift; it signals a recalibration. His past leadership at NAPIMS, where he oversaw over $15 billion in joint venture portfolios, and his dual command of NNPC’s Upstream and Ventures directorates, have already reshaped how partnerships with IOCs are managed. His return could extend that influence.

Still, in a rare comment before the announcement, one can imagine Ewubare striking a note of finality: “I’ve done hard labour for Nigeria… I just want to breathe.” But Nigeria, as always, had other plans.

Now, back in the corridors of power, Ewubare carries the weight of expectations. For him, it is not just to reform a sector long plagued by inertia, but to prove that sometimes, the second act is the most transformative.

In his new role Ewubare will be an effective deputy to Bashir Bayo Ojulari who himself is a technocratic superstar.

We wish them well.