President Bola Tinubu has announced a major leadership change in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies. The President has requested the Senate to confirm new chief executives for both the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
This follows the resignation of Farouk Ahmed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe as Chief Executive of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The President’s nominations were formally communicated to the Senate through separate letters on Wednesday, according to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
“As of now, there are no direct note publicly available from President Bola Tinubu’s official letters to the Senate regarding the nominations for new chief executives NMDPRA and NUPRC”.
This development marks a significant shift in the leadership of Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory sector as the Senate prepares to consider and confirm the President’s new nominees.
Farouk Ahmed resigned amid a public dispute with Aliko Dangote in December 2025. The reason for Gbenga Komolafe’s resignation remains unclear.
More updates will follow as the story develops.
