President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executives of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of the heads of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The nominations were contained in a State House press release signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and dated December 17, 2025.
The President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, while Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was nominated as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Tinubu requested the Senate to grant expedited consideration and confirmation of the nominees.
The request followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, who headed the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, the immediate past Chief Executive of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to the release, “the President has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of the nominees in order to ensure continuity and stability in the regulation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.”
Eyesan, an Economics graduate of the University of Benin, brings nearly 33 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, having spent most of her career with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries.
She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, in 2024, after previously serving as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, between 2019 and 2023.
The statement described Eyesan as “a seasoned industry professional with deep experience in upstream operations, corporate planning, and strategy development within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.”
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained his degree in 1981.
He was also announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Mohammed has held several strategic leadership positions within the industry, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company.
He also served as Chairman of the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
The release further noted that Mohammed previously served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major national gas projects and policy frameworks.
“His contributions include the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code, and key inputs into the Petroleum Industry Act,” the statement said.
It added that Mohammed played “a pivotal role” in the delivery of critical infrastructure projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train projects.
The President expressed confidence that the nominees’ experience and professional background would strengthen regulatory oversight and support the ongoing reforms in the oil and gas sector, while assuring that the administration remains committed to efficient and transparent management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources.
Engineer Farouk Ahmed resignation came days after Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), accused him of financial impropriety.
Dangote accused Ahmed of living beyond his means, claiming he spent $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland.
Dangote emphasized that he was not calling for Ahmed’s removal but urged a thorough investigation.
“He should be required to account for his actions and demonstrate that he has not compromised his position to the detriment of Nigerians,” Dangote stated.
Dangote also criticized the NMDPRA for undermining local refining, noting that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products, despite increasing domestic refining capacity, has kept Nigeria reliant on fuel imports.
He revealed that licences covering roughly 7.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) had been issued for the first quarter of 2026, putting local refiners at a disadvantage.
In response, Dangote filed a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on December 16, requesting investigation and prosecution of Ahmed for alleged corruption and financial mismanagement.
The petition claims Ahmed diverted public funds for personal gain and spent disproportionately on his children’s education abroad.
The ICPC has confirmed receipt of the petition and stated it will investigate the allegations thoroughly. John Odey, ICPC spokesman, said in a statement: “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) writes to confirm that it received a formal petition today, Tuesday 16th December, 2025, from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer.”
“The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”
