Nigeria’s petroleum sector was thrown into shock on Wednesday following the resignation of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority(NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, and his counterpart at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, amid the deepening controversy triggered by allegations and a petition filed by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
The two regulators’ resignations were announced by the Presidency on Wednesday. This move is generally interpreted as a result of the growing conflict between the Dangote refinery and the NMDPRA on petrol importation, pricing, and downstream sector regulatory oversight.
The change occurred a few days after Dangote publicly accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and asked the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission(INEC) to immediately look into what he called dubious personal wealth, including claims that the regulator had paid roughly $5 million for his four children’s secondary education in Switzerland.
Dangote had attacked Ahmed directly on Sunday, asking where he got his money and how he could pay for his kids’ schooling. When Dangote formally wrote to the ICPC on Tuesday, requesting a thorough probe into the NMDPRA chief, the accusations intensified.
Ahmed was called to the Presidential Villa in reaction to the petition and the uproar it caused. His resignation was then made public. Komolafe, who was not directly involved in the current conflict, was also impacted; according to reports, the Presidency decided to switch the leadership of both regulatory agencies at the same time.
The two chief executives’ resignations and the names of their successors were confirmed by Bayi Onanuga, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy. Onanuga claims that President Tinubu has requested Senate approval for both agencies’ new chief executive appointments.
“The requests followed the resignation of Engr Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act,” he said.
“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engr Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA,” Onanuga added.
He described the nominees as seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
“Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.
“Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today (Wednesday) as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
“His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail,” Onanuga said.
The shocking resignation of the regulators has further intensified anxiety in the downstream oil sector, with marketers warning that the unfolding crisis could accelerate business failures, especially following the aggressive price cuts by the Dangote refinery.
Meanwhile, the rift between Dangote and the outgoing NMDPRA boss dates back to 2024, shortly after the $20bn Dangote refinery began fuel production.
At the time, Dangote’s deputy, Devakumar Edwin, accused the NMDPRA of indiscriminately issuing licences to marketers to import what he described as “dirty” refined products, forcing the refinery to export diesel and aviation fuel.
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