President Bola Tinubu has nominated former lawmaker Magnus Abe as chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), while forwarding the names of 20 additional nominees to the Senate for confirmation into key petroleum regulatory boards.
The nominations, which cover board positions in both the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), reflect ongoing efforts to constitute full governing structures for agencies created under the Petroleum Industry Act.
The president also proposed a mix of returning and new appointees as executive and non-executive members, drawing from backgrounds in public service, regulation, energy policy, and private sector leadership across the oil and gas value chain.
The requests were conveyed in two separate letters to the Senate and made public on Monday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who outlined the composition and roles of each nominee.
Onanuga said Abe, a former member of the NNPC board and current chairman of the National Agency of the Great Green Wall, was nominated to lead the NUPRC board, alongside Engr. Paul Yaro Jezhi and Sunday Adebayo Babalola as non-executive commissioners.
Executive nominees to the NUPRC board include Muhammed Sabo Lamido for finance, Edu Inyang for exploration and acreage, Justin Ezeala for economic regulation and strategic planning, Henry Darlington Oki for development and production, Indabawa Bashari Alka for corporate services, Mahmood Tijani for health, safety and environment, and Olayemi Adeboyejo as secretary and legal adviser.
In his second letter, the president nominated Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as chairman of the NMDPRA board, with Onanuga noting that Adeniji “has over 30 years of experience in energy and natural resources issues” and currently serves as managing partner at ENR Advisory.
Other nominees to the NMDPRA board include Kenneth Kobani and Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members, alongside executive directors Abiodun Adeniji for finance, Francis Ogaree for hydrocarbon processing, Oluwole Adama for midstream and downstream gas infrastructure, and Dr. Mustapha Lamorde for corporate services and administration.
Additional nominees listed are Yahaya Nasamu Yinusa for distribution systems, Adeyemi Murtala Aminu for corporate services, Modie Ogechukwu for economic regulation and strategic planning, and Barrister Olawale Dawodu as board secretary and legal adviser, while the president urged the Senate to consider the requests without delay.
Onanuga added that the nominations followed the recent confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as chief executive officer of the NUPRC and Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as chief executive officer of the NMDPRA, with Tinubu charging all appointees to discharge their regulatory duties professionally.
