Farouk Ahmed Resigns as NMDPRA CEO….Gbenga Komolafe Too

President Bola Tinubu has moved swiftly to reshape Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory landscape, nominating two industry veterans to replace the heads of key agencies after their sudden resignations.

The changes come after Engineer Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Gbenga Komolafe, head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), stepped down from their posts. Both were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to steer the agencies established under the landmark Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Ahmed’s exit follows months of intense scrutiny, including explosive accusations from Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. In July 2024, Dangote alleged during the launch of his $20 billion refinery that Ahmed lived extravagantly beyond his official means, even claiming the NMDPRA CEO imported adulterated fuel to undermine the facility. Ahmed denied the claims, countering that Dangote sought to control the downstream sector. Recent reports from Premium Times and Vanguard indicate the resignation was accepted on December 17, 2025, amid ongoing federal investigations into alleged sabotage of local refining efforts.

Komolafe’s departure, less publicly contentious, aligns with broader efforts to inject fresh leadership into the sector amid rising calls for efficiency and transparency. Official Senate records confirm Tinubu’s letter to the upper chamber today, urging “expedited confirmation” of the nominees to minimize disruptions.

Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan: Upstream Powerhouse
Eyesan emerges as a frontrunner for NUPRC CEO, bringing over three decades of experience from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) ecosystem. A University of Benin economics graduate, she rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), overseeing exploration and production strategies. Prior roles included Group General Manager of Corporate Planning and Strategy (2019–2023), where she shaped NNPC’s long-term vision. Industry sources, including her LinkedIn profile and NNPC archives, highlight her role in boosting upstream investments during volatile global oil markets.

Saidu Aliyu Mohammed: Gas and Refining Veteran
For NMDPRA, Tinubu taps Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, a 1957 Gombe-born chemical engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (1981). Mohammed’s career spans decades at NNPC subsidiaries, including stints as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company. He chaired boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.

As Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer for Gas & Power, he drove flagship initiatives like the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the PIA. Key projects under his belt include the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train 7. Freshly announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy, Mohammed’s nomination underscores his strategic acumen in midstream and downstream operations, per Seplat’s investor filings and energy sector analyses from Energy Mix Report.

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These nominations signal Tinubu’s push for technocrats to stabilize the petroleum sector, crucial as Nigeria grapples with fuel subsidy removal aftershocks, refinery delays, and Dangote Refinery’s full operations ramp-up. Senate confirmation could occur within days, given the urgency in the presidential request.

Stakeholders welcome the moves. “This is a reset for accountability and expertise,” said oil analyst Bala Zakariya in a ThisDay interview. However, questions linger over the resignations’ full context, with civil society groups demanding probes into earlier allegations.