President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executives of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies following the resignation of their incumbent heads.
The nominations follow the exit of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the establishment of the agencies under the Petroleum Industry Act.
In a letter to the Senate, President Tinubu requested expedited consideration and confirmation of 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.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the nominees as seasoned professionals with extensive experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Eyesan is a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin and spent nearly 33 years with 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.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, obtained in 1981. He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His career includes serving as 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.
He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
Engineer Mohammed played key roles in the delivery of strategic national energy projects, including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train projects.
The nominations are expected to strengthen regulatory leadership and deepen ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, subject to Senate confirmation.
Edited by Olaolu Fawole, Volunteer Editor
