In a significant development within Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory sector, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has officially resigned from his position. Similarly, Gbenga Komolafe, the head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has also stepped down.

Following these resignations, President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of new chief executives for both agencies. The presidential request was conveyed through separate letters sent to the Senate on Wednesday.

The announcement was confirmed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Both Ahmed and Komolafe were originally appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

According to the statement, President Tinubu has nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as the new CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as the CEO of NMDPRA.

Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan is an economist and oil industry veteran with nearly 33 years of experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, having previously served as Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed is a chemical engineer and former Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company as well as the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also served on multiple energy sector boards and recently emerged as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

The presidential statement emphasized that “the two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.”

Ahmed’s resignation comes amid a high-profile dispute with Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, which attracted nationwide attention in December 2025. Dangote had accused Ahmed and his family of living beyond their legitimate means, citing millions of dollars allegedly spent on overseas education for his four children.

The controversy led Dangote to petition the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate and prosecute Ahmed for alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment. Ahmed, however, dismissed the allegations as “wild and spurious,” asserting that he would prefer to defend himself before a formal investigative body rather than engage in public arguments.

This conflict reportedly began in 2024 when Ahmed publicly criticized domestic refinery output, including operations at Dangote’s refinery. The dispute escalated to the point where the House of Representatives intervened, summoning both parties to prevent destabilization within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The resignations mark a major leadership shift within Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies.

President Tinubu is moving quickly to ensure leadership continuity through Senate confirmation of the nominees.

The high-profile conflict with Aliko Dangote underscores ongoing concerns about transparency and regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.