President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated new chief executives for Nigeria’s two key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of their heads appointed under the Petroleum Industry Act framework.
In separate communications to the Senate, the President sought legislative approval for 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 nominations come after Engineer Farouk Ahmed stepped down from the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe resigned from the NUPRC, ending their tenures that began in 2021 when both agencies were created to implement reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu requested an expedited confirmation process, underscoring the administration’s intent to maintain regulatory stability and momentum in the oil and gas sector.
A senior presidency source said the nominees were selected “based on competence, sectoral experience, and capacity to drive the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act.”
Eyesan brings more than three decades of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. An Economics graduate of the University of Benin, she spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries.
Moreover, she retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, having earlier served as Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
Engineer Mohammed, a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was born in 1957 in Gombe State.
He has held several strategic leadership positions across the energy value chain and was, on the same day of his nomination, announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His professional record includes stints as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. Furthermore, he chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail, while also serving as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Gas and Power at NNPC.
During that period, Mohammed provided leadership for major national gas initiatives, including the Gas Masterplan and the Gas Network Code, and contributed to policy development under the Petroleum Industry Act.
He also played key roles in landmark infrastructure projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG expansion programmes.
With the Senate’s consideration pending, analysts say the nominations signal Tinubu’s resolve to align petroleum regulation with broader economic reforms.
Hence, the confirmation process is being closely watched by industry stakeholders seeking continuity and clarity in Nigeria’s evolving energy landscape.