President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded fresh nominations to the Senate for the leadership of Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory agencies, following the resignation of the current chief executives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The nominations come on the heels of the exit of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive of NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former head of the NUPRC. Both men were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the establishment of the twin regulators under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
In a letter to the Senate, President Tinubu requested the expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.
“The President has requested the Senate’s prompt consideration of the nominees to ensure continuity and stability in the petroleum sector,” the State House said.
Eyesan is a seasoned oil and gas professional with nearly 33 years of experience in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. A graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, she retired as
Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024) and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
“Her extensive experience in upstream operations and strategic planning positions her strongly for the role,” the release noted.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981. He was also announced on the same day as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His career spans top leadership roles, including Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as board chairmanships at West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
As Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, Mohammed provided strategic leadership for major national initiatives such as the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and policy inputs into the Petroleum Industry Act.
“He played a pivotal role in delivering critical projects including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the AKK Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train,” the statement added.
The Presidency expressed confidence that the nominees’ depth of experience would strengthen regulatory oversight and advance reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
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