NNPC veterans tapped to lead NUPRC, NMDPRA as Tinubu shakes up petroleum sector

President Bola Tinubu has initiated a major shake-up in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, announcing the resignations of the chief executive officers of the two key regulatory bodies and nominating their replacements.

The move comes amidst serious allegations of corruption and economic sabotage against the outgoing CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed. His resignation was announced on Wednesday via a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga.

Simultaneously, the Presidency announced the resignation of Gbenga Komolafe as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Ahmed’s resignation follows a summons to the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, which was prompted by a paid newspaper advert published on December 16 by Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), accusing Ahmed of corruption and economic sabotage.

In separate letters to the Senate, President Tinubu has requested the expedited confirmation of the new nominees, both of whom have experience in the sector. Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan is nominated to replace Komolafe at the NUPRC. Eyesan is a seasoned professional with nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries, retiring in 2024 as Executive Vice-President, Upstream. She previously served as Group General Manager of Corporate Planning and Strategy at the NNPC.

Saidu Aliyu Mohammed is nominated to succeed the embattled Ahmed at the NMDPRA. Mohammed, a chemical engineer, has a distinguished career, having served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.

He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy and was a key figure in developing the nation’s Gas Masterplan and contributing to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Both Komolafe and Ahmed were appointed in 2021 by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari to head the agencies created under the PIA. President Tinubu has urged the Senate to quickly consider and confirm the new nominees to ensure stability and integrity in the critical petroleum sector.