Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — Engineer Farouk Ahmed and Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, who until recently served as the chief executives of two of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory bodies, have resigned from their positions, prompting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move swiftly to nominate their successors for confirmation by the Senate.
Farouk Ahmed stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), while Gbenga Komolafe resigned as CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) — the two agencies established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to regulate various segments of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Both men were originally appointed in 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In letters forwarded to the Senate of the Federal Republic, President Tinubu requested expedited confirmation of his nominees to lead the two agencies, underscoring the importance of continuity and stability within the petroleum regulatory framework.
To fill the leadership vacuum at the NUPRC, Mr Tinubu has nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as the incoming Chief Executive Officer. A graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, Eyesan spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries, retiring as Executive Vice President, Upstream Director (2023–2024) after holding senior leadership positions including Group General Manager of Corporate Planning and Strategy.
For the NMDPRA, Tinubu has put forward the name of Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO. Born in 1957 in Gombe State, Mohammed holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and has held several senior positions across the oil and gas value chain, including Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also chaired boards such as the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail, and served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, playing a strategic role in major national gas projects and policy frameworks including the Gas Masterplan and the Petroleum Industry Act.
President Tinubu’s request to the Senate emphasizes the need for a timely confirmation process to ensure that leadership at both regulatory commissions is restored promptly, given their central roles in oversight, investment governance and implementation of critical policies within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Senate is expected to schedule screening and confirmation hearings for the nominees in the coming days, a procedural step required before they can formally assume their roles. The leadership change comes at a time when regulatory stability is seen as pivotal to sustaining investor confidence and advancing reforms in Nigeria’s energy sector.
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