President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executives of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of their current heads.
In a letter to the upper chamber, the president requested expedited legislative approval for the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The nominations come on the heels of the voluntary resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, who headed the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former Chief Executive of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after the establishment of the two regulatory bodies under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
According to the State House, President Tinubu underscored the importance of continuity and stability in the petroleum sector, particularly as Nigeria pursues reforms aimed at boosting investment, strengthening regulation, and maximising value across the oil and gas value chain.
Eyesan, the nominee for the upstream regulator, is a seasoned oil and gas professional with nearly 33 years of experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. A graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, she retired from NNPC as Executive Vice President, Upstream, a position she held between 2023 and 2024. She previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, from 2019 to 2023, where she was involved in shaping strategic direction and long-term planning for the national oil company.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, nominated to lead the NMDPRA, was born in 1957 in Gombe State and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, obtained in 1981. He was also announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Mohammed brings decades of experience in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream gas and petroleum subsectors. His past roles include Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, subsidiaries of Nigeria LNG, and NNPC Retail.
Additionally, he served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas infrastructure projects and policy frameworks. His contributions covered critical initiatives such as the National Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code, and inputs into the development of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The State House noted that Mohammed played key roles in the delivery of landmark projects including the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG expansion projects.
The Senate is expected to consider the nominations in the coming days as part of its constitutional oversight and confirmation responsibilities.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
