Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve two new oil regulators to lead the country’s key oil and gas agencies, following the resignation of their current heads.
In letters sent to the Senate on Tuesday, Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as chief executive officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The nominations followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, who led the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, the former head of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which reshaped Nigeria’s oil and gas governance.
Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm the nominees on an expedited basis, according to a statement from the presidency.
Nigeria relies on oil and gas for most of its export earnings and a large share of government revenue. The leadership of the two oil regulators is seen as critical to restoring investor confidence, improving production, and implementing reforms under the PIA.
Eyesan brings more than three decades of experience in the industry. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Benin and spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.
She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, after overseeing exploration and production activities. She previously served as Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023, where she was involved in long-term planning and sector reforms.
Engineer Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, is a chemical engineer who graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981. He was announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy, one of Nigeria’s leading energy companies.
He has held several senior roles, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also chaired boards of major energy institutions, including the West African Gas Pipeline Company and Nigeria LNG subsidiaries.
As Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Gas and Power at NNPC, Mohammed helped shape key gas policies and projects. These included the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
He also played major roles in delivering projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train developments.
The Senate is expected to review the nominations in the coming days.
What you should know about Nigeria’s oil regulators (NUPRC vs NMDPRA)
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) oversees the exploration and production of oil and gas, regulating the upstream sector from licensing to monitoring operations. Its responsibilities include administering licenses, leases, and farm-out approvals, overseeing drilling sites, production platforms, flow stations, and crude export terminals, maintaining records on reserves and exports, and advising the government on technical and policy matters. NUPRC also determines the status of integrated upstream/midstream facilities, keeping them under its jurisdiction, effectively managing “oil in the ground to the export terminal gate.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) regulates the processing, transportation, and marketing of petroleum products. It manages refineries, pipelines, storage facilities, and fuel distribution networks, sets pricing benchmarks, ensures product quality and availability, and promotes competition and private sector participation. While NUPRC focuses on upstream activities, NMDPRA governs operations from the exit of export terminals or entry into gas processing plants through refining, transport, and final delivery to consumers, creating a comprehensive regulatory framework under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
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