Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval for New Boards of Petroleum Regulatory Agencies
- Jan 7
- 2 min read
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally asked the Senate to confirm 21 nominees for the governing boards of Nigeria’s two key petroleum sector regulators—the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The requests were conveyed through two separate letters transmitted to the upper chamber.
For the upstream regulator, the President nominated former senator Magnus Abe as Chairman of the NUPRC board. Abe, who represented Rivers South-East for two terms in the National Assembly, previously served on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and currently chairs the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, bringing legislative and sectoral experience to the role.
Also proposed as non-executive commissioners for the NUPRC board are Engineer Paul Jezhi, a former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna State, and Sunday Babalola, a retired deputy director of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources. Their nominations are expected to strengthen labour and regulatory perspectives within the commission.
The President further named a full slate of executive commissioners for the upstream regulator, covering finance, exploration, economic regulation, development, corporate services, and health, safety and environment. Some of the nominees are returning appointees from previous administrations, while others are newly introduced to align the board with current policy priorities under the Petroleum Industry Act.
In a separate submission to the Senate, Tinubu nominated energy law expert Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as Chairman of the NMDPRA board. Adeniji brings more than three decades of experience in energy policy, regulatory reform, and advisory roles, including work with international development institutions and prior service as a technical adviser within the petroleum ministry.
The President also selected Kenneth Kobani and Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members of the NMDPRA board. Kobani previously held positions at both federal and state levels, including ministerial and administrative roles, adding political and governance depth to the authority’s oversight structure.
Additional nominees for the midstream and downstream regulator include executive directors responsible for finance, hydrocarbons, gas infrastructure, corporate services, distribution systems, economic regulation, and strategic planning. The list reflects a mix of incumbents retained for continuity and new appointments aimed at operational efficiency.
Tinubu urged all nominees, once confirmed, to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism and independence, emphasizing the critical role of effective regulation in stabilizing and growing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. He also appealed to the Senate to consider and approve the nominations without delay.
The board nominations come shortly after the confirmation of new chief executive officers for both agencies, a move that signals the administration’s effort to fully constitute the leadership structures of the petroleum regulators and accelerate reforms across the sector.
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