President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to approve the nominations of new chief executives for Nigeria’s two crucial oil and gas regulatory bodies: the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). This action follows the resignations of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, who previously headed the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, the former chief executive of the NUPRC. Both officials were initially appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead these agencies, which were established under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The resignations come amid significant controversy, particularly concerning Engineer Farouk Ahmed. Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, had launched a series of severe allegations against Ahmed, accusing him of corruption, abuse of office, illicit enrichment, and economic sabotage. Mr. Dangote formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on December 16, demanding Ahmed’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution. He claimed Ahmed was living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant, alleging he spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying school fees upfront for six years. Specifically, Dangote detailed approximately $5 million for secondary education and upkeep, and an additional $2 million for tertiary education, including $210,000 for Faisal Farouk’s 2025 Harvard MBA.

Furthermore, Dangote accused Ahmed of leveraging his position to undermine domestic refining in Nigeria. He alleged that Ahmed, in collusion with international traders and oil importers, continuously issued import licenses for petroleum products, thereby frustrating local refining efforts. Dangote insisted that Ahmed’s lifetime earnings in public service could not lawfully account for such exorbitant expenditure, suggesting the funds were diverted from public coffers. He urged the ICPC to act decisively under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which prescribes a five-year jail term without a fine for such offenses, and expressed his readiness to provide documentary and other evidence to substantiate his claims.

In response to the