The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation will declare its first dividend to Nigerians as it prepares to release its 2020 financial statements in the third quarter of this year, the Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said on Monday.

Kyari disclosed this in Lagos while delivering an address at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

He said, “Everything we are doing must align with the wider national interest. And therefore, NNPC, being the representatives of all of us and, is, of course, a very potential global player – this is our ambition and we are getting there.

“And I can tell you, within the next month or two maximum, we will publish our statement of accounts for 2020. And I can also confirm to you that for the first time in our history, we will declare dividend to the Nigerian people.”

Kyari said the corporation would play a key role in the global transition to low carbon energy in the near future.

“Our tremendous natural gas reserves have become our greatest enabler to smooth transition to low carbon energy. We are deepening natural gas utilisation under the national gas expansion plan to earn more carbon credits and create a net zero carbon environment in line with our drive to becoming an energy company of global excellence,” he added.