- Tinubu names new NUPRC, NMDPRA bosses after resignations
- Senate confirmation requested urgently by the Presidency
- Appointments follow controversy around former regulators
- Both nominees bring decades of oil sector experience
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of new chief executives for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The appointments come after the resignation of Farouk Ahmed, former chief executive of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, who headed the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari when the regulatory bodies were created under the Petroleum Industry Act.
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Farouk Ahmed’s tenure had recently come under public scrutiny following corruption allegations raised by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, whose refinery is Africa’s largest.
Confirming the development, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga disclosed that President Tinubu has formally forwarded the names of new nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
In separate letters addressed to the upper chamber, the President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as the new chief executive of the NUPRC, while Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was named to head the NMDPRA.
READ ALSO: NMDPRA CEO Farouk Ahmed resigns amid corruption allegations
President Tinubu urged the Senate to fast-track the screening and confirmation process to ensure continuity in petroleum sector regulation.
Eyesan, an economics graduate of the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice-President, Upstream, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
Mohammed, a chemical engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has held several strategic positions in Nigeria’s energy sector. He previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, and was recently named an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
He also chaired boards of key gas institutions and played a major role in shaping Nigeria’s gas masterplan, gas network code, and policy frameworks linked to the Petroleum Industry Act.
Reacting to the development, a presidency source said the appointments were aimed at strengthening transparency and professionalism in the oil and gas sector.
“These nominations reflect the President’s commitment to experienced leadership and effective regulation in Nigeria’s petroleum industry,” the source said.
