Farouk Ahmed has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), just three days after public allegations involving Dangote Refinery thrust the agency into controversy.
The developments come amid a corruption petition filed by Aliko Dangote, the president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging abuse of office, corrupt enrichment, and unlawful diversion of public funds by the NMDPRA chief.
The resignation, announced Tuesday by the State House, comes alongside the departure of Gbenga Komolafe from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the regulatory bodies established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
President Bola Tinubu has nominated two replacements and requested expedited Senate confirmation for the appointments, signaling urgency in restoring stability to Nigeria’s critical petroleum sector oversight.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, a 68-year-old veteran with over four decades in oil and gas, has been tapped to replace Ahmed at NMDPRA. Meanwhile, Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, who retired last year as NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Upstream operations, will take over NUPRC if confirmed.
The shake-up follows heightened tensions between regulatory authorities and Dangote Refinery, though the State House press release made no reference to the controversy that has dominated energy sector discourse in recent days.
Ahmed’s tenure at NMDPRA had been marked by the agency’s oversight of the critical transition period as Nigeria’s refining landscape evolved with the emergence of private refineries, including the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote facility.
Engineer Mohammed brings extensive operational and strategic experience to his new role. A 1981 Chemical Engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, he previously served as Managing Director of both Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company.
His resume includes chairmanship of the West African Gas Pipeline Company and Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, as well as a stint as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for NNPC’s Gas & Power Directorate. In that capacity, he oversaw major infrastructure projects including the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline Expansion and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline.
Mohammed was announced Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy, though he will presumably step aside if his NMDPRA nomination is confirmed.
Eyesan, an Economics graduate from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with NNPC and its subsidiaries. She served as Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy from 2019 to 2023 before her elevation to Executive Vice President, Upstream, a position she held until her retirement in 2024.
The simultaneous departure of both petroleum regulatory chiefs is unprecedented since the agencies were created under the PIA, raising questions about coordination between the exits.
Industry observers note the appointments come at a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s petroleum sector, as the country navigates fuel subsidy removal, currency pressures, and the complex dynamics of integrating major private refining capacity into the domestic market.
The Senate is expected to schedule confirmation hearings for both nominees in the coming weeks.
SOURCE: Businessday
