President Bola Tinubu has initiated significant changes within Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory landscape, replacing the chief executives of two critical agencies amid increasing scrutiny over sector governance. Engineer Farouk Ahmed, who headed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), have resigned from their positions. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the regulatory bodies created under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The resignations were officially announced in statements signed by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson. President Tinubu has formally written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of new nominees to fill the vacant positions. Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan has been nominated as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC, replacing Gbenga Komolafe, while Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed has been nominated as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, succeeding Farouk Ahmed.

Farouk Ahmed’s resignation follows serious corruption allegations, most notably from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group. Dangote reportedly petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public officer. According to the petition, Ahmed allegedly spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, a figure said to be grossly disproportionate to his declared income.

Dangote further accused the NMDPRA leadership under Ahmed of deliberately frustrating domestic refining efforts by persistently issuing petroleum import licences, suggesting possible collusion with international fuel traders. In response, the House of Representatives resolved to investigate both the corruption allegations and the continued issuance of import licences, warning that the dispute could escalate into a fuel supply crisis, particularly during the Yuletide season.

The Presidency described the new nominees as seasoned professionals with extensive oil and gas industry experience, noting that the appointments are intended to ensure continuity, stability, and credibility in petroleum sector regulation. The Senate is expected to consider and confirm the nominations in the coming days, while investigations into the allegations against Farouk Ahmed remain ongoing.

Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, the nominee for NUPRC Chief Executive Officer, is an economics graduate of the University of Benin with nearly 33 years of experience at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, nominated to lead the NMDPRA, was born in 1957 in Gombe State and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981. His distinguished career includes serving as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.

Mohammed previously served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas infrastructure projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and key inputs into the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). He played a pivotal role in delivering major energy projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train projects. He was recently appointed as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.