Embattled NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed resigns as Tinubu nominates replacement
Engineer Farouk Ahmed has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, paving the way for President Bola Tinubu to nominate a replacement and seek Senate approval for new leadership in the country’s petroleum regulatory agencies.
President Tinubu on Wednesday wrote to the Senate, requesting the confirmation of Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as the new CEO of the NMDPRA, following Ahmed’s exit from office.
The President also sought the approval of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.
Mr Ahmed, who was appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had led the NMDPRA since its establishment under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
His resignation comes amid heightened public scrutiny and internal pressures surrounding the operations of the midstream and downstream petroleum regulator.
Although the Presidency did not disclose the specific reasons for Mr Ahmed’s resignation, sources within the sector said his exit followed weeks of controversy and mounting concerns over regulatory decisions and governance issues within the agency.
In a letter to the Senate, Tinubu urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the nominations to ensure continuity and stability in the regulation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, the nominee to replace Ahmed at the NMDPRA, is a veteran of the oil and gas sector with over four decades of experience.
Born in 1957 in Gombe State, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, obtained in 1981.
He was also announced on Wednesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Mr Mohammed has previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, and chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.
He also held office as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas infrastructure projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and key inputs into the Petroleum Industry Act.
Meanwhile, the President also nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan to head the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission following the resignation of Gbenga Komolafe, another appointee of the previous administration.
Mr Eyesan, a University of Benin Economics graduate, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiaries.
She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, between 2023 and 2024, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy from 2019 to 2023.
The nominations, announced in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and dated December 17, 2025, are expected to be considered by the Senate in the coming days.
