The Nigerian Senate is expected to confirm President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for key oil and gas regulatory agencies, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), on Friday.
The nominations, Engineer Saidu Muhammad for NMDPRA and Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan for NUPRC, were screened on Thursday during a session of the Committee of the Whole. The screening follows President Tinubu’s invocation of the urgency provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act to ensure swift appointment of leadership for the country’s upstream, midstream, and downstream petroleum regulators.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio confirmed the receipt of two letters from the President seeking approval for the appointments, citing the resignations of the previous heads of the agencies as the reason for urgent action. Tinubu emphasized that delays could create a leadership vacuum in agencies responsible for critical regulatory functions, including vessel movement authorizations and upstream petroleum oversight.
Both nominations were referred to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration. The nominees appeared alongside their delegations during the screening exercise at Senate Room 117 ahead of plenary deliberations.
The appointments come after former NMDPRA Managing Director, Engineer Farouk Ahmed, and former NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, resigned. Both had been appointed in 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Presidency has requested expedited confirmation of Saidu Muhammad and Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to ensure stability and continuity in the regulation of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Separately, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group, petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption and misuse of office by Ahmed. In the petition dated December 16, Dangote claimed Ahmed spent over $7 million on his children’s education abroad, an amount allegedly inconsistent with his public service earnings, and called for investigation and prosecution.
Investigations into these allegations and the confirmation of the new chief executives are now pending as the Senate prepares to act on the nominations.
