Two of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulators were thrown into transition following the resignation of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, and the head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe.
In response, President Bola Tinubu has formally approached the Senate, requesting approval for new chief executives to take over leadership of both agencies. The request was confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who explained that the nominations were necessitated by the departure of the two officials.
Ahmed and Komolafe were both appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act. Their exit has prompted the administration to move quickly to ensure continuity in the governance of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
To fill the vacancies, Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA. The President asked the Senate to fast-track their confirmation, citing the need for stability within the regulatory framework.
Eyesan is an economist and a University of Benin graduate who spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, between 2023 and 2024, after previously serving as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, from 2019 to 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, obtained in 1981. He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy. Over the years, he has held several strategic positions, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company.
Mohammed also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail. As Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Gas and Power Directorate, he provided leadership on major gas initiatives and policy frameworks such as the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act. He played key roles in delivering landmark projects including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train expansions.
