President Bola Tinubu has forwarded to the Senate the names of two nominees to replace the heads of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies following the resignation of their chief executives.
The President is seeking the Senate’s confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The nominations followed the sudden exit of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former CEO of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former head of the NUPRC.
Both officials were appointed in 2021 by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after the establishment of the agencies under the Petroleum Industry Act.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu had written to the Senate requesting expedited consideration and confirmation of the nominees in order to ensure continuity in the regulation of the oil and gas sector.
Eyesan, an economist and industry veteran, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited 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 engineer and former NNPC Group Executive Director in charge of the Gas and Power Directorate, is widely regarded as a key figure in Nigeria’s gas development drive.
Born in 1957 in Gombe State, he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 and has held several top positions, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company.
He has also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail, and played major roles in landmark projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline and Nigeria LNG expansion programmes.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the petroleum sector. Ahmed, the former NMDPRA boss, was recently accused of economic sabotage and corruption by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, allegations that have continued to stir public debate.
If confirmed, the new appointees are expected to steer the regulatory agencies at a time of reforms and renewed focus on transparency, investment and stability in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
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