President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to confirm new leadership for Nigeria’s pivotal petroleum regulatory bodies, following the resignations of their current chiefs.
In letters to the upper chamber, the President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The leadership vacancies arose after Engineer Farouk Ahmed of NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of NUPRC resigned. Both were appointed in 2021 under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, an Economics graduate from the University of Benin, boasts nearly 33 years at NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), having previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy (2019–2023).
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in Gombe in 1957 and a Chemical Engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, has held top positions across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. His leadership roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, Chair of West African Gas Pipeline Company and Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and Group Executive Director/COO of NNPC’s Gas & Power Directorate. He has also spearheaded major projects, including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and contributed significantly to the Petroleum Industry Act.
The nominations reflect President Tinubu’s drive to ensure robust, experienced leadership at the helm of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies.
