Senate moves to confirm Tinubu’s new petroleum regulators after Dangote-linked shake-up

The Senate on Thursday screened President Bola Tinubu’s nominees to head Nigeria’s two key petroleum regulatory agencies, paving the way for their confirmation on Friday amid a major shake-up in the oil and gas sector.

The nominees are Engineer Saidu Muhammad for the position of Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

At plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that the upper chamber had received two separate letters from President Tinubu requesting confirmation of the nominees “in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.”

Reading the first letter, Akpabio said Tinubu nominated Muhammad pursuant to Section 41(6) of the Act, following the resignation of the immediate past head of the NMDPRA. The President stressed the urgency of filling the position to avoid a leadership vacuum in an agency responsible for critical midstream and downstream operations, including the authorisation of vessel movements.

“I hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominee expeditiously,” Tinubu said, while assuring the leadership of his highest regard.

Citing time constraints and the strategic importance of the role, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration.

In a second letter, the President sought the Senate’s confirmation of Eyesan as chief executive of the NUPRC under Section 11(3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021. Tinubu said the nomination was also necessitated by the resignation of the commission’s former chief executive and urged swift action to ensure continuity in the regulation of the upstream petroleum sector.

That nomination was equally referred to the Committee of the Whole for prompt consideration and possible confirmation.

The screening, which took place at Senate Room 117, was largely routine. Both nominees, accompanied by their delegations, were already seated before proceedings began. After their résumés were read and a few questions asked, the lawmakers adopted the “take a bow and go” procedure.

The exercise followed the recent exit of Farouk Ahmed as chief executive of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe as head of the NUPRC, in what marked a significant reset of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory leadership.

The Presidency had announced on Wednesday that both officials had resigned, amid controversy triggered by allegations and a petition filed by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, over regulatory actions affecting the downstream sector.

The dispute stemmed from disagreements between the Dangote Refinery and the NMDPRA over fuel importation, pricing and regulatory oversight. Dangote accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and later petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging questionable personal wealth, including claims that about $5 million was spent on the secondary education of Ahmed’s four children in Switzerland.

Ahmed was subsequently summoned to the Presidential Villa and later resigned. Although Komolafe was not directly implicated in the dispute, sources said the Presidency opted for a simultaneous leadership change at both regulatory agencies.

Confirming the nominations earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu had forwarded the names to the Senate for approval, describing both nominees as seasoned oil and gas professionals.

Eyesan is a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin and spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, between 2023 and 2024, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, from 2019 to 2023.

Muhammad, born in 1957 in Gombe State, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. His past roles include Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as chairman of the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.