April 29, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has removed Mr Saidu Mohammed as the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), barely four months after appointing him to the strategic regulatory position, in a move that underscores the administration’s determination to recalibrate the nation’s oil and gas regulatory architecture amid ongoing energy sector reforms.
A statement signed on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President has nominated Mr Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the new Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Onanuga said the decision was taken “in the public interest” and in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to the Presidency, the leadership change is part of broader efforts by the Tinubu administration to deepen efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness within Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum regulatory framework under the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The President has also approved the nomination of Mr Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the new Chief Executive of the NMDPRA. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation”, the statement said.
The Presidency further disclosed that pending Umar’s confirmation by the Senate, the most senior official within the NMDPRA would oversee the affairs of the agency in an acting capacity to ensure uninterrupted operations across the country’s petroleum value chain.
Tinubu also expressed appreciation to the outgoing Authority Chief Executive for his services to the nation and wished him success in his future endeavours.
THEWILL reports that Mohammed had only recently assumed office following his nomination by President Tinubu in December, after the exit of the previous heads of the NMDPRA and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
At the time, Tinubu forwarded the names of Engineer Saidu Mohammed for the NMDPRA and Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan for the NUPRC to the Senate for confirmation as part of efforts to reposition the petroleum regulatory institutions.
Mohammed brought decades of industry experience into the role. A seasoned chemical engineer, he previously served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, as well as the Nigerian Gas Company. He also occupied several senior management positions within subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and participated in the execution of major national gas infrastructure projects.
The Presidency described Umar as a seasoned corporate executive with more than 25 years of professional experience spanning the energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors.
According to the statement, he possesses extensive expertise in strategic leadership, operational transformation, and the delivery of large-scale projects across multiple industries.
Umar is a graduate of Accounting from Bayero University, Kano, and also attended Harvard Business School, where he reportedly undertook executive leadership programmes.
His nomination comes at a critical period for the NMDPRA, the agency responsible for technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations, including licensing, gas infrastructure oversight, petroleum product distribution, pricing frameworks, and market compliance.
Since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, the NMDPRA has occupied a central role in implementing reforms aimed at liberalising Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market, attracting investments into gas development, and ensuring energy security.
The agency has also been at the forefront of managing the transition from subsidy-era petroleum administration to a market-driven pricing regime following the removal of fuel subsidies by the Tinubu administration in May 2023.
