In a country where public communication is often reduced to sterile press statements and vague reassurances, Femi Soneye has managed to pull off a rare feat: he has made corporate communication at NNPCL interesting. Not just interesting – engaging, strategic, and, perhaps most critically, trustworthy.
Since stepping into the role of Chief Corporate Communications Officer at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in October 2023, Soneye has brought more than polish to the job. He has brought purpose. In a sea of bureaucratic fog, his voice has become a clear channel – an informed, deftly tuned signal transmitting clarity from the heart of Nigeria’s most scrutinized institution.
It’s no wonder, then, that he has just been crowned Nigeria’s Spokesperson of the Year 2025 by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. Besting contenders from the Nigeria Police Force, Shell, and NIMASA, among others, Soneye stood out not merely for eloquence but for efficacy.
Soneye’s record reads like a case study in modern strategic communication. He didn’t just rebrand NNPC’s image – he rehumanised it. Through social media engagement, media-friendly messaging, and transparent updates, he’s helped the public see not just a monolithic oil giant, but an organization willing to listen, explain, and evolve. Under his watch, the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation narrative didn’t spiral into chaos – it was managed into credibility.
Internationally, he’s repositioned NNPCL as more than just a local behemoth. His leadership during appearances at the Nigeria International Energy Summit and COP28 in Dubai sent a clear message: NNPC isn’t just surviving – it’s showing up on the global energy stage.
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) called it professionalism. The NIPR called it excellence. The rest of us might call it refreshing
