Nigeria President Tinubu Nominates Board Chairmen and Members for NUPRC and NMDPRA
In a significant move to strengthen governance in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded nominations for the governing boards of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the Senate for confirmation.
Former Rivers South-East Senator Magnus Abe has been nominated as Chairman of the NUPRC board. A two-term senator with prior experience as a board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and current Chairman of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Abe brings extensive public service and sectoral insight to the role.
Joining him on the NUPRC board are:
-Non-Executive Commissioners: Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi (former Trade Union Congress Chairman, Kaduna State) and Sunday Adebayo Babalola (former Deputy Director, defunct Department of Petroleum Resources).
-Executive Commissioners: Muhammed Sabo Lamido (Finance); Edu Inyang (Exploration and Acreage); Justin Ezeala (Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning); Henry Darlington Oki (Development and Production); Indabawa Bashari Alka (Corporate Services and Administration); Mahmood Tijani (Health, Safety, and Environment).
-Secretary and Legal Adviser: Olayemi Adeboyejo.
Several of these executive roles retain experienced appointees from previous administrations, while others represent fresh nominations by President Tinubu.
For the NMDPRA, President Tinubu has nominated Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as Chairman. A seasoned lawyer with over 30 years in energy and natural resources, Adeniji previously served as Special Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum on Upstream and Gas, and contributed to World Bank-supported reforms, including Nigeria’s Strategic Gas Plan. He is currently Managing Partner at ENR Advisory.
Other NMDPRA board nominees include:
-Non-Executive Members: Chief Kenneth Kobani (former Minister of State for Trade and ex-Secretary to Rivers State Government) and Asabe Ahmed.
-Executive Directors: Abiodun Adeniji (Finance); Francis Ogaree (Hydrocarbon Processing); Oluwole Adama (Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure); Dr. Mustapha Lamorde (Corporate Services and Administration); Yahaya Nasamu Yinusa (Distribution Systems); Adeyemi Murtala Aminu (Corporate Services); Modie Ogechukwu (Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning).
-Board Secretary and Legal Adviser: Olawale Dawodu (industry veteran with prior experience at Exxon subsidiaries).
These nominations follow the recent Senate confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as NUPRC Chief Executive and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as NMDPRA Chief Executive. Both agencies were established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory framework.
President Tinubu has urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process and charged the nominees to uphold professional standards in regulating the critical oil and gas sectors, underscoring the importance of robust oversight for national energy security and economic growth.
