Senate on Friday confirmed the appointments of Saidu Mohammed and Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as Chief Executive Officers of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), respectively.
Senate
The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by a joint committee of the Senate chaired by Sen. Abdulrahman Kawu.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier written to the Senate seeking expedited approval of the nominees, describing them as seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
The development comes on the heels of the resignation of Farouk Ahmed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA amid corruption allegations levelled against him by Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga also disclosed that Gbenga Komolafe stepped down as Chief Executive of the NUPRC.
Dangote had petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of financial impropriety and living beyond his means.
He alleged that millions of dollars were spent on the overseas education of Ahmed’s children, including a Harvard MBA programme in 2025.
The ICPC confirmed receipt of the petition and assured that the matter would be duly investigated.
The dispute escalated further when Dangote accused the NMDPRA leadership under Ahmed of economic sabotage, alleging that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products undermined local refining capacity.
Ahmed, however, dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
With the Senate’s confirmation of Mohammed and Eyesan, both agencies now have new leadership expected to restore confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory framework
