An Energy Legal Consultant is optimistic that with a focused leadership at all levels, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will do more.

On Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, Mr Israel Aye, said that the restructuring of the NNPC was necessary to improve performance, reduce cost and block funds leakages.

He, however, said that the restructuring should be done from the law.

“The NNPC could be maximised to deliver under a focused government and leadership.

“We need to do something rather more fundamental,” he said.

On the need to streamline the corporation size to reduce cost and improve performance, he pointed out that the Act that established the NNPC did not suggest how many directors needed to run the organisation.

The NNPC has been accused of mismanagement of proceeds from crude oil sales, a situation he said could be addressed by putting in place necessary laws.

He also stressed the need for further diversification of Nigeria’s economy, as supply of crude oil to other countries was reducing.

He suggested that the government should begin to look at increasing the domestic use of Nigeria’s petroleum products.

“Someone has said that it is indeed not a smart country that exports oil,” he also said, stressing the need for Nigeria to shift reliance on crude to other sectors of the economy.