‎Tinubu names new NUPRC, NMDPRA chiefs after Ahmed, Komolafe’s resignations

‎President Bola Tinubu has moved to overhaul Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory leadership, forwarding new nominees to the Senate following the exit of the heads of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
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‎In separate letters sent to the Senate on Wednesday, the President sought expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.
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‎The request followed the resignation of Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, head of the NUPRC.
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‎Tinubu’s action was disclosed in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who described the nominees as seasoned professionals capable of strengthening governance in the oil and gas sector.
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‎According to the statement, Eyesan is an economist and oil industry veteran with nearly 33 years’ experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, having earlier served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy.
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‎Mohammed, a chemical engineer, previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also held board positions across the energy sector and recently emerged as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
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‎Both outgoing chief executives were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.
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‎Ahmed’s departure comes amid a public dispute with businessman Aliko Dangote, who accused him of abuse of office and petitioned anti-corruption authorities over alleged unexplained wealth—claims Ahmed dismissed as “wild and spurious.”
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‎With the nominations, Tinubu signalled his intention to recalibrate leadership in the petroleum regulatory space as part of broader reforms in the sector.