Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory sector has been rocked by the resignation of two top officials, coming just days after Africa’s largest petroleum refinery founder, Aliko Dangote, made damning allegations against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Following the allegations, Dangote submitted a formal petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), seeking an investigation into the Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed, over alleged corruption.
Barely a day after the petition, the Nigerian Presidency, in a statement released by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, announced the resignation of the chief executives of the NMDPRA and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The statement did not assign specific reasons for their resignation, except to note that both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
However, the statement revealed that President Tinubu has nominated Madam Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.
The President has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of the nominees.
Both nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
Madam Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.
She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
He was announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His previous roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the Boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Master Plan, the Gas Network Code, and key contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering major projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train projects.
It remains unclear whether Mr Farouk Ahmed will respond to the allegations levelled against him following his resignation.
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