By Ghazali Ibrahim
Engineer Farouk Ahmed has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) following mounting pressure and a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over corruption allegations surrounding the agency, State House sources said on Wednesday.
The development was confirmed in a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, special Adviser to the president on information and strategy.
Ahmed’s resignation, which was formally communicated to the President, comes amid sustained public scrutiny and calls for accountability within the petroleum sector after Dangote exposed his children school fees abroad which is inconsistent with his salary as a public servant.
The petition was submitted to the ICPC and confirmed through a statement released by the agency spokesperson today, marking the commencement of a mismanagement investigation.
His exit marks a dramatic end to a tenure that began in 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, following the creation of the NMDPRA by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
In the same development, Gbenga Komolafe also stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), another key regulator established by the PIA.
Following the resignations, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, seeking expedited confirmation of new chief executives to lead the two agencies.
According to a State House press release, the President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as the new CEO of the NUPRC, while Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was nominated to head the NMDPRA.
While the Presidency did not provide details of the allegations against Ahmed, sources familiar with the matter said his decision to resign followed a meeting with President Tinubu, amid growing concerns over governance and transparency within the downstream petroleum regulator.
Eyesan, one of the nominees, is a veteran of the oil and gas industry with nearly 33 years’ experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. A graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, she retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, in 2024. She also served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy and has held several top positions within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
His previous roles include Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as board chairmanship positions at the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.
As Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Gas and Power Directorate, Mohammed provided strategic leadership on major national gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
He was also involved in landmark projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train projects.
President Tinubu’s request for swift Senate approval signals an effort to stabilise the petroleum regulatory space and reinforce confidence in oversight institutions amid renewed anti-corruption scrutiny.
