President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for Nigeria’s key oil regulatory agencies following the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, a former Executive Vice President at NNPC, as CEO of NUPRC, and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, a veteran oil and gas technocrat, as CEO of NMDPRA.
The leadership changes come at a tense moment for the oil sector, amid a public dispute between the federal government and billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote over regulatory oversight and policy direction. Industry watchers see the nominations as a signal of Tinubu’s determination to assert firmer regulatory control under the Petroleum Industry Act.
The Senate is expected to consider the nominations for expedited approval.
