Nigeria, April 7 -- By Wednesday, it will be one week since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent seismic shockwaves through Nigeria's oil and gas industry with a decisive shake-up at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). The announcement triggered boardroom reshuffles and a clear-out at the top management level. The impact was immediate - and national. From Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria's commercial nerve centre, stakeholders have been scrambling to recalibrate. Some welcomed the shake-up with cautious optimism. Others reacted with anxiety. All agree: the stakes are high.

For years, many of us in the industry have called for deep reform. NNPC Ltd. - a company that ought to be the heartbeat of the Nigerian economy - has instea...