Engineer Farouk Ahmed has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) following his public clash with industrialist Aliko Dangote, while Gbenga Komolafe has also stepped down from his executive role as head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
The development was disclosed in a State House press release issued on December 17, 2025, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu has formally written to the Senate, requesting swift approval of new nominees to lead the two agencies created under the Petroleum Industry Act.
The press release reads:
“STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE
Engineers Farouk Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe resign, President Tinubu nominates successors to the Senate for approval
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).”
To replace Komolafe at the NUPRC, Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, a veteran of the oil and gas sector with nearly 33 years’ experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries. Eyesan, an Economics graduate of the University of Benin, most recently served as Executive Vice President, Upstream, between 2023 and 2024, and previously held the role of Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy from 2019 to 2023.
For the NMDPRA, the President nominated Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed. Born in 1957 in Gombe State, Mohammed graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He was also announced on the same day as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His career spans several top positions, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail, and served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Gas and Power Directorate.
The statement further noted that Mohammed played key roles in major national gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act, as well as landmark projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train developments.
The nominations are now before the Senate for confirmation.
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 following his public clash with industrialist Aliko Dangote, while Gbenga Komolafe has also stepped down from his executive role as head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).){kind=link}
As it should be