President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to approve the nominations of new chief executive officers for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), following the resignation of the heads of both agencies.
The request was conveyed in separate letters transmitted to the upper chamber and read during plenary, marking a significant leadership transition in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory architecture. The nominations follow the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, and Mr Gbenga Komolafe, erstwhile Chief Executive of the NUPRC.
Ahmed and Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The PIA restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas governance framework, creating distinct regulators for upstream and midstream downstream operations to enhance transparency, efficiency and accountability in the sector.
To fill the vacant positions, President Tinubu has nominated Ms Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The President urged the Senate to consider and confirm the nominees expeditiously to ensure continuity and stability in the sector.
According to the Presidency, both nominees are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and possess the technical competence required to steer the regulatory agencies in line with the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act.
Ms Eyesan, the nominee for the NUPRC, is an economics graduate of the University of Benin and has nearly 33 years of experience in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired from the national oil company as Executive Vice President, Upstream, a position she held between 2023 and 2024.
Prior to that role, Eyesan served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023, where she was involved in shaping corporate strategy and long term planning during a period of significant reforms in the oil and gas sector. Her career spans key areas of upstream operations, strategic planning and corporate governance.
The Presidency described her nomination as a reflection of her deep understanding of upstream petroleum operations and her track record in policy formulation and execution within the industry.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, nominated to head the NMDPRA, was born in 1957 in Gombe State and is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1981. He is widely regarded as a veteran of Nigeria’s gas and downstream petroleum sectors.
On the same day of his nomination, Mohammed was also announced as an independent non executive director at Seplat Energy, highlighting his continued relevance and recognition within the industry.
His previous appointments include serving as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail, among others.
Mohammed further served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Gas and Power Directorate at NNPC, where he provided strategic leadership for several major gas initiatives and policy frameworks. His contributions include involvement in the development of the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code and inputs into the formulation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
He played a pivotal role in the execution of critical national gas infrastructure projects, including the Escravos Lagos Pipeline Expansion Project, the Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train projects, which are central to Nigeria’s gas expansion and energy transition agenda.
The Presidency said Mohammed’s nomination reflects his extensive experience in midstream and downstream operations, as well as his proven capacity to drive regulatory effectiveness and infrastructure development.
With the nominations now before the Senate, the upper chamber is expected to screen the candidates and determine their suitability for the roles. If confirmed, the new chief executives will be tasked with deepening reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act, strengthening regulatory oversight and supporting the federal government’s broader objectives of energy security, investment attraction and sustainable growth in the oil and gas sector.
The development signals President Tinubu’s commitment to repositioning the petroleum industry through leadership renewal and institutional strengthening at a time when the sector remains critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and long term development.
The statement announcing the nominations was signed by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and dated December 17, 2025.
