Senate Panel Screens Tinubu’s Nominees For Upstream, Downstream Roles

President Bola Tinubu’s drive to reform Nigeria’s oil and gas governance gained fresh momentum on Thursday as the Senate commenced the screening of nominees for the leadership of the country’s key petroleum regulatory agencies.

The nominees, Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Saidu Mohammed for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), appeared before the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) at the National Assembly.

During the screening exercise, both nominees pledged to pursue far-reaching reforms aimed at blocking revenue leakages, restoring regulatory discipline and attracting fresh investments into the oil and gas sector.

They outlined reform agendas centred on digitisation, strict enforcement of contracts, credible data management, improved investor confidence and accelerated gas development, in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The nominations followed the resignation of the pioneer chief executives of the two agencies, Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC and Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA, who were appointed in 2021 after the PIA came into force.

Speaking before the committee, Eyesan, nominated to head the upstream regulator, told lawmakers that Nigeria was losing significant value due to manual regulatory processes and weak system integration in an industry increasingly driven by technology.

“We are still largely manual, while the world is moving at jet speed. Without digitisation and real-time data, you cannot truly understand what you are regulating, and you will continue to lose money,” she said.

She stressed that effective regulation depends on accurate data, asset integrity monitoring and transparent systems, adding that collaboration among regulators, operators and policymakers was critical to resolving bottlenecks in the sector.

“We must collaborate with stakeholders, identify our pain points and address them collectively. That is how we move the needle forward,” Eyesan added.

She assured the Senate that she would fully deploy the PIA as a regulatory tool to reposition the upstream sector, attract investments and ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the face of the global energy transition, describing the law as “a valuable document” if properly implemented.

Eyesan, an Economics graduate of the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its subsidiaries, retiring as Executive Vice President, Upstream.

She highlighted her role in resolving long-standing disputes with international partners, restoring investor confidence during divestment threats and facilitating multi-billion-dollar deep offshore investments.

She also recalled signing Nigeria’s first non-associated gas development contract and contributing to an increase in crude oil production from about 1.3 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels per day during her tenure.

“Having worked as an operator and participated in resource development, I believe I have the competence to regulate the industry and ensure we maximise the enormous opportunities before us,” she told the committee.

On his part, Mohammed, the NMDPRA nominee, emphasised the need to restore discipline across the gas and petroleum supply chain through strict enforcement of contracts and quality standards.

“Gas is not a favour; it is a commodity. It must be sold on the basis of enforceable contracts from the producer to the transporter and the end-user,” he said, blaming weak contractual frameworks for persistent gas shortages, particularly in the power sector.

He noted that reliable gas supply to some power plants was only possible where contracts were clear and obligations enforced, adding that strengthening regulatory oversight and enforcing the Gas Network Code would help stabilise the system and rebuild investor confidence.

Mohammed also warned against neglecting domestic refining and processing capacity, cautioning that the sector could suffer the fate of Nigeria’s collapsed textile industry if local needs were ignored in favour of exports.

The nominee pledged to revive pipeline transportation of petroleum products, attract billions of dollars in investments into gas processing infrastructure and strengthen quality assurance through in-house laboratory facilities.

“You cannot enforce quality if you do not have the capacity to test and certify products yourself,” he said.

Born in Gombe in 1957, Mohammed is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with decades of experience across the oil and gas value chain.

He has served as Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, as well as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, at NNPC.

He also played key roles in major projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Sumaila Kawu, said the screening was taking place at a critical time for the country, noting that boosting energy production and efficiency was central to economic recovery.

He added that further engagements with the nominees would continue into January to strengthen legislative–regulatory collaboration.

The Senate is expected to consider the committee’s report after the screening, paving the way for the confirmation of the nominees and signalling a new phase in the regulation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry under the Tinubu administration.