The Senate has confirmed Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The confirmations followed the adoption of a report by the Joint Senate Committees on Petroleum (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) after the screening of the nominees at plenary on Friday.
President Bola Tinubu had transmitted the request for confirmation to the upper legislative chamber on Thursday, a day after announcing the nominations to fill vacancies created by the resignation of the former heads of the two petroleum regulators.
In a swift legislative process, the Senate concluded the screening and confirmation of both nominees within 24 hours of receiving the presidential request.
With the confirmation, Eyesan and Aliyu are expected to immediately assume office at the respective regulatory bodies, which play critical roles in licensing, regulation and revenue oversight of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Background to Leadership Changes
The leadership reshuffle comes amid controversy surrounding the immediate past chief executive of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, who recently resigned from office.
Ahmed had been accused by Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, of alleged corruption, abuse of office and illicit enrichment. In a petition dated December 16 and addressed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dangote called for Ahmed’s arrest, investigation and prosecution.
Dangote alleged that the former regulator lived far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant, claiming that he spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, with tuition fees reportedly paid upfront for six years.
According to the billionaire industrialist, such expenditure could not be justified by Ahmed’s official income. He also accused the former NMDPRA boss of diverting public funds for personal use and turning the regulatory agency into a tool for private interests.
Neither Ahmed nor the ICPC has publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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