President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday submitted nominations to the Senate for new leadership of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignations of their previous chiefs.
The move aimed to maintain stability and continuity within the country’s petroleum governance framework.
The affected agencies are the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), both established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
Former heads Mr. Gbenga Komolafe (NUPRC) and Mr. Farouk Ahmed (NMDPRA), who were appointed in 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, have stepped down.
In letters addressed to the Senate, President Tinubu nominated Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as NUPRC Chief Executive and Mr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as NMDPRA Chief Executive.
The President emphasised the urgency of confirming the appointments, noting that prompt approval would “ensure continuity and stability within the petroleum regulatory framework.”
Mrs. Eyesan is a seasoned petroleum economist with nearly 33 years of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, including her tenure at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. and its subsidiaries.
She graduated in Economics from the University of Benin and served as Executive Vice President, Upstream, at NNPC Ltd. between 2023 and 2024.
She also contributed significantly to strategic reforms in the upstream sector during her time as Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy from 2019 to 2023.
Mr. Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He brings decades of leadership experience across Nigeria’s petroleum industry, including his recent role as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His career includes positions as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company.
He has also chaired boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
Notably, Mohammed played a key role as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Gas and Power Directorate at NNPC, overseeing major projects and policy frameworks such as the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributing to the development of the Petroleum Industry Act.
His leadership was critical to the execution of projects including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG train expansions.
The nominations were officially communicated through a statement by the President’s spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, signaling the administration’s commitment to ensuring seamless operations in the nation’s petroleum sector.
