ABUJA (AFP) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday dismissed the chief executive and several top managers of state oil firm NNPC, a company widely seen as riddled with corruption.

Jonathan's move was in "furtherance of efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government," a statement from his office said.

The president replaced the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Austen Oniwon, with Andrew Yakubu, a chemical engineer.

Yakubu had earlier been the managing director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company and group executive director for exploration and production at NNPC, the statement said.

Jonathan also appointed new key directors for the company's exploration and production, refineries and petrochemicals, commercial and investments, and finance and accounts units, it said.

NNPC has repeatedly come under fire for alleged corruption. In April, a parliamentary report alleged Nigeria had lost $6.8 billion from 2009 to 2011 through a fuel subsidy programme rife with corruption.

The report harshly criticised the NNPC called for an overhaul of the state oil firm.

Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, makes around two million barrels per day of crude. The state oil firm partners with international petroleum companies through joint ventures.