The Nigerian Senate is set to confirm President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the leadership of two critical petroleum regulatory agencies on Friday, following their screening by the Committee of the Whole on Thursday.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio informed lawmakers at plenary that he had received letters from Tinubu seeking the confirmation of Engineer Saidu Muhammad as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Oritsemeyi Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Reading the letters, Akpabio said the nominations came after the resignations of the previous agency heads, noting the strategic importance of ensuring uninterrupted leadership in the regulation of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
“Both nominees are being referred to the Committee of the Whole for prompt consideration and confirmation,” he said.
The screening, held at Senate Room 117, was largely routine. The nominees and their delegations were present, and after their résumés were verified, a few questions were asked before the exercise concluded.
The resignations of Farouk Ahmed of NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of NUPRC followed growing controversy over regulatory actions in the downstream sector, including a petition by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, alleging economic sabotage and questionable personal expenditures.
While Komolafe was not directly implicated, both exits prompted a simultaneous leadership change across the two agencies.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Tinubu had submitted the nominees’ names for Senate approval, describing both as experienced professionals in the oil and gas industry.
Eyesan, a University of Benin Economics graduate, retired in 2024 after nearly 33 years at NNPC and its subsidiaries, holding positions including Executive Vice President, Upstream, and Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy. Muhammad, born in 1957 in Gombe State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University and has served as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, the Nigerian Gas Company, and chairman of boards including the West African Gas Pipeline Company and NNPC Retail.
