The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned from office.
In a similar development, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, has also stepped down.
Following the resignations, President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking confirmation of new chief executives for both agencies. The request was conveyed in separate letters sent to the Senate on Wednesday.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Ahmed and Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to the statement, President Tinubu has nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, urging the Senate to expedite their confirmation.
Eyesan, an economist and seasoned oil and gas professional, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy.
Mohammed, a chemical engineer, previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also held positions on several energy-sector boards and recently became an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry,” the statement said.
Ahmed’s resignation comes amid a widely publicised dispute with billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote in December 2025. Dangote had accused Ahmed and his family of living beyond their legitimate means, alleging that millions of dollars were spent on overseas education for his four children.
Dangote subsequently petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for an investigation and prosecution of Ahmed over alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment. The allegations triggered nationwide debate over regulatory accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Ahmed dismissed the claims as “wild and spurious,” stating that he preferred to address the matter before a formal investigative body rather than engage in public exchanges.
The dispute, which dates back to 2024 when Ahmed criticised domestic refinery output, including Dangote’s refinery, drew the attention of the House of Representatives, which summoned both parties in a bid to prevent instability in the sector.
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