Bola Tinubu moved decisively on December 17, 2025, nominating fresh leadership for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) hours after CEOs Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe resigned amid explosive corruption allegations leveled by Aliko Dangote. Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga announced the picks Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed for NMDPRA and Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan for NUPRC requesting swift Senate confirmation to restore stability in Nigeria's vital oil and gas sector rocked by the scandal.
Ahmed's exit followed a Villa summons triggered by Dangote's advert detailing $5 million in taxpayer funds allegedly funneled to his children's Swiss education, culminating in an ICPC petition accusing the regulator of economic sabotage via import curbs and fuel adulteration that hampered refinery operations. Komolafe's parallel departure, both 2021 Buhari-era PIA appointees, underscores Tinubu's intolerance for graft in downstream/upstream oversight amid Dangote's push for self-sufficiency.
Mohammed, a chemical engineering stalwart from Ahmadu Bello University with MD roles at Kaduna Refinery and Nigerian Gas Company, spearheaded AKK pipeline, Gas Masterplan, and PIA inputs; Eyesan brings 33 years of NNPC Upstream EVP expertise post-UNIBEN economics. These heavyweights promise robust reforms, signaling investor confidence as Senate screening accelerates to propel gas projects and curb regulatory overreach fueling market turmoil.