President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executive officers of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of their current heads.

The President’s request comes after Engineer Farouk Ahmed stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), while Gbenga Komolafe resigned as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which established the two regulators.

In a letter to the Senate, President Tinubu sought expedited consideration and confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.

The nominees are described as highly experienced professionals with extensive backgrounds in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Eyesan holds a degree in Economics from the University of Benin and spent close to 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, in 2024, having earlier served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, between 2019 and 2023.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981. He was also announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

His career spans several leadership roles within the energy sector, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He has also chaired the boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.

Engineer Mohammed previously served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership on major gas projects and policy frameworks such as the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act. He played key roles in landmark projects including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and the Nigeria LNG Train project.

The Senate is expected to consider the President’s request in the coming days.