Deregulation of the Downstream Sector of the Nigerian Petroleum Industry: The Role of Leadership

This study examined the role of leadership in the deregulation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry. Primary data was collected through structured interview from 230 respondents via questionnaire.The survey method using the questionnaire was adopted in collecting data. Tables were used in the presentation of the data while the mean (x) and simple percentage (%) were used in the analysis of data. This study highlighted the importance and role of leadership in the deregulation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry. The study revealed that corruption, brought about by petroleum subsidy, is obvious in the petroleum industry and that importation of petroleum products to meet local demand by Nigerians is attributable to leadership/managerial problem. It further revealed that leadership upon attainment of independence in Nigeria has not been accountable and transparent in the management of the nation’s oil wealth to transform the lives of Nigerians. Leadership role in any organization, public or private, is of paramount importance as the leadership role when effectively carried out or not do affect the performance of an organization. The study concludes by recommending that there is constant need to evaluate what we do in leadership and how we do it irrespective of the position(s) we occupy and/or the sector(s) we find ourselves. Keywords: Deregulation, Downstream Sector, Leadership, Petroleum Industry