SPOTTED: Tinubu Sacks NMDPRA CEO Saidu Mohammed While On Official Assignment In Germany

President Bola Tinubu sacked Saidu Mohammed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in a sudden move that came while the embattled regulator was on official duty in Germany on Wednesday.

Mohammed was attending the Pipeline Technology Conference in Berlin alongside other NMDPRA delegates when the news of his sack broke on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the agency had posted on X that “the Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Saidu Mohammed leads NMDPRA delegates to the Pipeline Technology Conference taking place in Berlin, Germany from 27th to 30th April, 2026.”

However, barely two hours later, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced Mohammed’s removal and the nomination of Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as his replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.

The presidency said the decision was taken in the “public interest” and formed part of efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.

LEADERSHIP reports that Mohammed’s removal came just four months after he assumed office on December 22, 2025, following his nomination and Senate confirmation days earlier. He had succeeded Farouk Ahmed, whose own exit capped a turbulent tenure marked by high-profile disputes with industry stakeholders, including the Dangote Refinery.

In the statement, Onanuga said President Tinubu “thanked Mohammed for his service and wished him well in his future endeavours,” reiterating the administration’s commitment to “capable leadership to drive energy security, sector reforms, and sustainable economic growth.”

The latest shake-up adds to a pattern of abrupt leadership changes by the administration. In November 2025, Tinubu similarly removed Ogbonnaya Orji as Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) while he was on a foreign assignment.

Mohammed’s short-lived tenure coincided with deepening challenges in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, particularly a worsening aviation fuel (Jet A-1) crisis.

Global supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East, especially involving Iran and Israel, have constrained refined product supply chains and driven up crude prices. The ripple effects have been felt domestically, with persistent Jet A-1 shortages forcing major airlines such as Air Peace and Arik Air to scale down operations.

In response to mounting pressure from airline operators, NMDPRA recently introduced a price band for aviation fuel, pegging the maximum price at N2,037 per litre in Abuja, while Lagos prices were set between N1,760 and N1,988 per litre, down from over N3,000 previously paid by operators.

Despite the intervention, industry stakeholders continued to criticise the regulator’s performance, citing lapses in pricing oversight and distribution monitoring.

Umar, the incoming nominee, brings over 25 years of experience spanning energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure. A graduate of Bayero University and alumnus of Harvard Business School, he is widely seen as equipped to navigate the complexities of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory landscape.

Analysts said his immediate challenge will be stabilising the NMDPRA amid overlapping pressures, from aviation fuel shortages to refinery integration and global market volatility.

With Senate confirmation pending, the agency’s most senior official is expected to serve in an acting capacity.