Gbenga Komolafe has resigned as chief executive officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), according to a statement issued Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to expedite confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Komolafe’s successor.
The presidency also announced the resignation of Farouk Ahmed as CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). Saidu Aliyu Mohammed has been named to replace him.
Onanuga outlined the backgrounds of the incoming executives. Eyesan, an Economics graduate from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years at 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 from 2019 to 2023.
Mohammed, born in 1957, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University. He was recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy. His prior roles include serving as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Company, and chairing the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer for NNPC’s Gas & Power Directorate, providing leadership on strategic gas initiatives such as the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
Mohammed played key roles in major national projects, including the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train developments.
