Tinubu Nominates New Heads for NUPRC, NMDPRA After Resignations of Ahmed, Komolafe

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executives of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe.

The nominations were contained in a letter to the Senate in which the President sought expedited approval for Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The request followed the resignation of Ahmed, who headed the NMDPRA, and Komolafe, who led the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to oversee the two regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

In the letter, President Tinubu noted that the nominations were aimed at ensuring continuity and strengthening regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. He described the nominees as “seasoned professionals with deep industry experience and proven leadership capacity.”

Eyesan, an economics graduate of the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, between 2023 and 2024, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, from 2019 to 2023.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, who was born in 1957 in Gombe State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

Mohammed has held several key positions in the oil and gas industry, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks such as the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.

According to the presidency, “Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in the delivery of landmark projects, including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline and the Nigeria LNG Train.”

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President expects the Senate to give the nominations prompt consideration in the national interest.

“The President has requested expedited confirmation to ensure seamless leadership transition and sustained progress in the regulation of Nigeria’s petroleum industry,” Onanuga said.

The Senate is expected to act on the nominations in the coming days.