Senate Panel Screens Tinubu’s Nominees for NUPRC, NMDPRA Headship

President Bola Tinubu’s push to reform Nigeria’s oil and gas governance gathered 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, both nominees pledged to drive far-reaching reforms aimed at blocking revenue leakages, restoring regulatory discipline and attracting fresh investments into the oil and gas sector, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

They outlined reform agendas centred on digitisation, strict enforcement of contracts, credible data management, improved investor confidence and accelerated gas development, following the recent resignation of the pioneer chief executives of the two agencies appointed in 2021.

Speaking before the committee, Eyesan said Nigeria was losing significant value due to manual regulatory processes and weak system integration, stressing that effective regulation must be driven by technology, accurate data and transparent systems.

“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. We must collaborate with stakeholders and address our pain points collectively,” Eyesan said.

“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. Weak contractual frameworks are responsible for persistent shortages, especially in the power sector,” Mohammed stated.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Sumaila Kawu, said the screening was taking place at a critical time for the nation, adding that the Senate would consider the joint committee’s report after the exercise to pave the way for confirmation of the nominees and a new phase in oil and gas regulation under the Tinubu administration.