BREAKING: Farouk Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe Step Down As Tinubu Nominates New Petroleum Regulators
By Jamisi Newsline | Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded to the Nigerian Senate the resignations of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
In the same communication, the President nominated new chief executives to lead both regulatory agencies in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), urging the Senate to expedite their confirmation to ensure stability and continuity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
According to the letter, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan has been nominated as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC, while Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was named as the incoming CEO of the NMDPRA.
Mrs. Eyesan, an economist and University of Benin graduate, brings over three decades of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, having served in several senior management roles at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), including Executive Vice President, Upstream, before her retirement.
Engineer Mohammed, a chemical engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has also held top leadership positions across the energy sector, including Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as chairmanship roles on several industry boards.
The resignations of Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe mark a major leadership shake-up in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory framework, coming amid ongoing reforms and heightened public scrutiny of the sector.
President Tinubu emphasized that the nominees possess the requisite experience and competence to drive effective regulation, transparency, and growth within the petroleum industry at a critical time for the nation’s economy.
The Senate is expected to commence the confirmation process in the coming days.
More details to follow.
