The NIMechE National Chairman extolled the attributes of the out-going 17th Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Chairman, Nigerian Gas Association Advisory Board, Engr. Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, FNIMechE, FNSE, FAEng in glowing terms as he proceeds on retirement today, Monday 7th July, 2019.
Engr. Dr Robinson Ejilah in his message congratulated Dr Baru, for his very successful and meritorious years of service to the Nigerian foremost Oil and Gas industry. In his words, he assured Baru that the Nigerian Mechanical Engineers are indeed proud of his impeccable credentials, and the service he had rendered to our dear country. He also said he will remain indebted to him for the support he provided to the Nigerian Mechanical Engineering community.
The National Chairman wished Dr Baru good health, long life, more successes and happiness and also assured him of NIMechE’s continued support in his future endeavours. In response, the out-going GMD, NNPC thanked the National Chairman for his kind words and prayers.
It is not in doubt that Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru has had a very successful engineering career. Maikanti Baru graduated with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1982. He also attended the University of Sussex, United Kingdom where he graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering in 1987.
Between 1988 - 1991, he held various positions at the Jos Steel Rolling Company Ltd. including Head Corporate Planning and Electrical Department while also serving in several committees in the company. He was the Manager National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO) from May to November 1991. He became the Manager, Operations of Procurement Management Services (PROMAS) from 1991-1993 where he saved the Corporation over $70 million in six months of operation. Thereafter, he served in NAPIMS as the Manager Gas Department for four years and in 1997, he was appointed General Manager, Gas Development Division and during his stewardship of the Joint Venture Gas Projects, they were able to save over $575 million.
In July 1999, he was appointed as the Executive Director, Operations of the Nigerian Gas Company, Warri where he was responsible for the smooth operation of all the facilities in the Nigerian Gas Company, and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to her various customers including but not limited to the National Electric Power Authority.
He left this position in 2004 and was appointed as the Managing Director Hyson (Nigeria) Ltd; and under his stewardship; Hyson was introduced into the domestic LPG business and grew rapidly raking in N24m in 2004, N164m in 2005 and N400m in 2006.
From 2006 to 2007, Dr. M. K. Baru was the Group General Manager, Greenfield Refinery Projects Division where he was tasked with ensuring the smooth execution of the feasibility study, design, construction and operation of new refineries in Nigeria.
In 2007, Maikanti Baru was appointed as the Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) where he was responsible for ensuring the effective supervision of the nation’s investment in Nigeria’s upstream oil industry. This covered six joint ventures and sixty-two production-sharing contracts.
Dr. Baru’s next position was Group General Manager LNG Division. In this capacity, he handled the commercial and administrative aspects of the LNG Investment Businesses. He was also the NNPC’s Chief Technical Negotiator on the West African Gas Pipeline project and chaired the NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, NNPC.
In March 2016, he was appointed Technical Adviser (Gas Matters) to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and on July 4 2016, President Muhammad Buhari appointed him as the 17th Group Managing Director of the NNPC.
Dr. Baru is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Oxford, Columbia University Business School, New York and the Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business among others.
On the 8th June, 2019, Engr. Dr. was admitted into the prestigious fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering in a very colourful ceremony at the University of Lagos, Akoka.
He is NIMechE’s 12th Distinguished lecturer. In his MEDL paper titled ‘Fast Tracking the Paradigm Shift from a Fossil Fuel-driven Economy to Renewable Energy: A Clarion Call to Nigerian Mechanical Engineers’. Dr Baru had shared his thought and opinion on the need for the nation to shift her attention from crude oil to renewable energy, with the aim of promoting energy security, creating more jobs for the economy, and ensuring a cleaner and sustainable environment.
He earned a Citation in Honour of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as a token of appreciation for supporting its professional activities. He also earned for the NNPC the distinguished NIMechE’s Corporate Award. At the conferment ceremony, Dr Baru had assured all and sundry, that the award will ‘fire and propel NNPC’s resolve as a responsible and responsive corporate entity in their determined pursuit of excellence in service delivery and innovative technology anchored on the tenants of probity and accountability’.
To further deepen the NIMechE –NNPC relationship, Dr. Baru while in office graciously approved NIMechE’s request to have an NNPC representation on NIMechE’s National Council. However, other NIMechE request proposals placed before him until his retirement are as follows.
i. A request for NIMechE-NNPC partnership in the area of renewable energy research and product development - with special reference to the Jatropha biofuel project, was initiated in line with the NNPC’s mandate on renewable energy research and development.
ii. A request for NNPC’s support for IAESTE student job raising and exchange opportunities to facilitate internship/attachment for our local and foreign IAESTE students was presented.
iii. NIMechE observed that the Trans-Nigeria Pipeline project - i.e. Ajaokuta, Kaduna, Kano (AKK) gas pipeline is a huge engineering project. As the project kicks –off, NIMechE is also making a case on behalf of Nigerian mechanical engineers and technicians for gainful employment and continuous professional development opportunities.
Notwithstanding his Dr. Maikanti's retirement, NIMechE will continue to engage with NNPC as a dependable Corporate partner to explore areas with the potentials to growing economy, and promote engineering professionalism.
As Engr. Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, FNIMechE, FNSE, FAEng bows out of public service today, the entire Nigerian Mechanical engineers pay glowing tributes to his impeccable academic credentials, commitment to engineering professionalism and exemplary service to our great country.
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