President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent 21 nominees to the Senate for the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, the nominees include both executive and non-executive members, with Senator Magnus Abe nominated as chair of the NUPRC board and Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as chair of the NMDPRA board.
The Presidency noted that the 21 nominations are key to strengthening Nigeria’s oil and gas sector regulation.
The statement said the nominees were selected based on their experience, expertise, and capacity to perform their roles professionally.
According to the statement, President Tinubu asked the Senate to expedite the confirmation process, stressing that timely approval will enable the boards to fully discharge their duties and ensure the continued effective regulation of both upstream and downstream petroleum activities.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written two letters to the Senate, seeking confirmation of 21 nominees for the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” the statement read in part.
The statement noted that the nominations include a mix of new appointees and experienced officials previously serving under former administrations, reflecting continuity and fresh expertise.
For the NUPRC, Senator Magnus Abe was nominated as board chair. Abe who served two terms representing Rivers South East in the Senate, is a former board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and currently chairs the National Agency of the Great Green Wall.
Other nominees include:
Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi, former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna, serving as a non-executive commissioner
Mr Sunday Adebayo Babalola, former deputy director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (abolished under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021), serving as a non-executive commissioner
Executive commissioners: Muhammed Sabo Lamido, Edu Inyang, Justin Ezeala, Henry Darlington Oki, Indabawa Bashari Alka, Mahmood Tijani, and Olayemi Adeboyejo
For the NMDPRA, Mr Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji was nominated as board chair.
Adeniji is a lawyer with over 30 years in energy and natural resources, a former special technical adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum, and a former World Bank Oil and Gas Policy adviser to Nigeria. He is currently managing partner at ENR Advisory.
Other nominees include:
Chief Kenneth Kobani – former Minister of State for Trade and former Secretary to the Government of Rivers State (non-executive member)
Mrs Asabe Ahmed – non-executive member
Executive directors and other members:
Abiodun Adeniji – Finance
Francis Ogaree – Hydrocarbon
Oluwole Adama – Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure
Dr Mustapha Lamorde – Corporate Services and Administration
Mr Yahaya Nasamu Yinusa – Distribution Systems
Adeyemi Murtala Aminu – Corporate Services
Ms Modie Ogechukwu – Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning
Barrister Olawale Dawodu – Board Secretary and Legal Adviser
The nominations for the boards of the NUPRC and NMDPRA follow recent leadership changes at both agencies.
