In a significant shake-up of Nigeria’s energy sector, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated new chief executive officers for Nigeria’s two key petroleum regulatory agencies, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The nominations followed the sudden resignation of the pioneer chief executives of both agencies on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
The leadership change is part of efforts by the Tinubu administration to stabilize the petroleum sector and rebuild investor confidence after weeks of public controversy surrounding regulatory oversight.
The agencies were created under the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 and play critical roles in regulating Nigeria’s upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas activities.
How the Former CEOs Resigned
The Presidency announced that the former chief executives stepped aside to allow for what it described as a fresh injection of leadership into the regulatory bodies.
Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive of NMDPRA, resigned shortly after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
His exit came amid intense public scrutiny following allegations by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, who accused the regulator of economic sabotage and corruption.
Dangote alleged that the authority was undermining domestic refining by issuing import licenses to foreign fuel traders and submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission raising concerns about Ahmed’s lifestyle and finances.
Gbenga Komolafe, former Chief Executive of NUPRC, resigned at the same time. While his departure was not linked to any public controversy, it was announced alongside Ahmed’s resignation to enable a comprehensive leadership reset across the petroleum regulatory space.
The Nominees and Their Profiles
President Tinubu nominated two seasoned oil and gas professionals with long careers at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries to take over the leadership of the agencies.
Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, Nominee for NUPRC CEO
Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan is an Economics graduate of the University of Benin with nearly 33 years of experience in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
She joined NNPC in 1992 and rose through the ranks, holding several strategic roles across planning, economics, and upstream operations.
She most recently served as Executive Vice President for Upstream at NNPCL, becoming the first woman to hold that position. Prior to that, she was Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
She is widely regarded for her expertise in petroleum economics, upstream investment strategy, and resource development.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, Nominee for NMDPRA CEO
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was born in 1957 in Gombe State and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981.
He has over 37 years of experience across Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain, with a strong focus on gas infrastructure and operations.
During his career at NNPC, he served as Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
He later became Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Gas and Power at NNPC. Mohammed played key roles in the development of the Nigerian Gas Master Plan and major infrastructure projects, including the Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano Gas Pipeline and the expansion of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System.
Senate Meeting and Confirmation
Both nominees appeared before the Joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources covering upstream, downstream, and gas on Thursday, December 18, 2025, for screening. During the session, they pledged to strengthen regulatory oversight, prioritize digitization to curb value leakage, and enforce contracts to support local refining and improve investor confidence.
The Senate is scheduled to confirm their appointments during plenary on Friday, December 19, 2025, a move aimed at preventing any leadership vacuum in the country’s critical petroleum regulatory institutions.
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