President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of two new chief executives to the Senate for confirmation to lead Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies following the resignation of incumbent officials.
The nomination follows the departure of Engineer Farouk Ahmed from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and Gbenga Komolafe from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to head the two regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
In a statement released Tuesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that President Tinubu has written to the Senate “requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.”
The presidency described both nominees as “seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry” with extensive experience in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Eyesan, who holds a degree in Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries. According to the statement, “She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.”
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. The presidency noted that “He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.”
The statement detailed Engineer Mohammed’s extensive career, noting that “His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.”
The presidency emphasized that “He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).”
Highlighting his project delivery record, the statement added that “Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train.”
The two regulatory agencies were created under the Petroleum Industry Act, landmark legislation designed to reform Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The NUPRC regulates upstream operations including exploration and production, while the NMDPRA oversees midstream and downstream activities including refining, distribution and retail.
The nominations are subject to Senate screening and confirmation before the appointees can assume their positions. The Senate is expected to commence the confirmation process in the coming days.
