BREAKING: Farouk Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe Resign As Tinubu Nominates New Petroleum Regulators To Senate
Engineer Farouk Ahmed has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) amid the controversy surrounding his public confrontation with billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote. Gbenga Komolafe has also resigned from his position as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The resignations were announced in a State House press release on December 17, 2025, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Farouk Ahmed’s departure follows weeks of intense public debate triggered by disagreements with Dangote over fuel regulation and domestic refining. Dangote had accused the NMDPRA leadership of obstructing local refinery operations and raised allegations that fueled widespread calls for accountability within the petroleum regulatory space.
In response to the vacancies, President Tinubu has formally approached the Senate, seeking accelerated confirmation of new nominees to head both regulatory agencies established under the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to the press statement, Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan has been nominated as the new Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC. An Economics graduate of the University of Benin, Eyesan spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and its subsidiaries, retiring as Executive Vice President, Upstream in 2024. She also previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was nominated to replace Ahmed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA. Born in 1957 in Gombe State, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981. He was also announced the same day as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Mohammed has held several senior roles in Nigeria’s energy sector, 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 noted that Mohammed provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy initiatives such as the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and key inputs into the Petroleum Industry Act. He also played prominent roles in projects including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train developments.
Both nominations have been forwarded to the Senate and are awaiting confirmation.
