By Cross Udo, Abuja
Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory sector was jolted on Wednesday by the sudden resignation of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, followed closely by the exit of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Gbenga Komolafe.
A presidency source confirmed that Ahmed tendered his resignation shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, earlier yesterday.
The meeting, which lasted less than 30 minutes, came amid escalating pressure arising from a corruption petition filed against him by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Ahmed was seen leaving the State House shortly before news of his resignation broke.
He declined to speak to journalists, only remarking that official working hours had elapsed.
Within hours, the Presidency formally confirmed his resignation.
Although the Presidency stopped short of directly linking Ahmed’s exit to the petition, there are strong indications that the decision was triggered by the fallout from Dangote’s allegations and the need to avert a deepening institutional crisis in the petroleum sector.
Dangote had petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption and financial misconduct against Ahmed.
The petition urged the anti-graft agency to arrest, investigate and prosecute the NMDPRA chief for allegedly maintaining a lifestyle far beyond what his legitimate earnings as a public servant could support.
Documents submitted to the ICPC, and acknowledged by the office of its Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), alleged that Ahmed expended more than $7 million, without proof of lawful income, on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying tuition fees upfront for six years.
Dangote’s petition reportedly detailed the names of the children, the Swiss schools they attended and the specific sums paid for each, to enable verification by investigators.
He further accused the NMDPRA boss of deploying the regulatory agency’s authority and resources to siphon public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions he claimed had recently triggered public outrage and protests by concerned groups.
The controversy quickly assumed national significance, raising concerns about regulatory credibility, investor confidence and the stability of Nigeria’s post–Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) oil and gas governance framework.
*Tinubu names successors, seeks Senate approval
In a swift move to contain the fallout, President Tinubu also accepted the resignation of NUPRC Chief Executive, Komolafe, widening the shake-up to include both chief executives of the PIA-created regulatory bodies.
Komolafe’s resignation, though not directly tied to the Dangote petition, marked the first time both heads of the upstream and midstream/downstream regulators have exited office simultaneously since the PIA came into force.
Confirming the development in a statement, the President’s spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, noted that both Ahmed and Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari following the unbundling of the old Department of Petroleum Resources under the PIA.
To ensure continuity and prevent a regulatory vacuum, Tinubu immediately forwarded the names of their proposed successors to the Senate for confirmation.
The President nominated Ms Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC, while Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was named as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA. He urged the Senate to fast-track their screening and confirmation in view of the strategic importance of the energy sector.
“The nominees are seasoned professionals with deep industry experience, and their appointments are aimed at sustaining stability, transparency and efficiency in the oil and gas regulatory environment,” the statement said.
Eyesan, a former Executive Vice President, Upstream, at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has nearly 33 years of experience spanning exploration, production, and commercial operations.
Mohammed previously served as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and as Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, at NNPC, where he oversaw several major national gas initiatives.
As the Senate prepares to act on the nominations, attention remains firmly fixed on how the Tinubu administration will navigate the delicate task of restoring confidence, enforcing regulatory discipline and preventing future clashes capable of destabilising the country’s most critical economic sector.
