The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned, alongside the head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe. President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for both agencies.
The request was conveyed in separate letters sent to the Senate on Wednesday, according to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The letters seek expedited confirmation of replacements for the two regulators created under the Petroleum Industry Act.
Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA. Both agencies play key roles in regulating Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, covering upstream operations as well as midstream and downstream activities.
Eyesan is an economist and oil industry veteran with nearly 33 years of experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream. Her previous roles include Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy.
Mohammed is a chemical engineer who has led major energy firms. He previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also held board positions across the energy sector and is currently an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Both outgoing chief executives were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act. The law restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas governance framework and established the two regulatory bodies.
Ahmed’s resignation follows a public dispute with billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote that drew national attention in December 2025. Dangote alleged that Ahmed and members of his family were living beyond their legitimate means, citing claims of large sums spent on overseas education for his children.
