President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm the appointments and reappointments of seven executive directors and the Board Secretary of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in a move to formalise the leadership structure of the regulator overseeing Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary on Tuesday. Tinubu said the appointments were made in accordance with Section 41, subsections 2 and 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
Three serving executive directors have been nominated for reappointment: Abiodun Adeniji, Executive Director, Finance and Accounts; Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamode, Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community.
The four nominees for new appointments are Mobolaji Musa, Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installation and Partnership; Ogechukwu Modie, Executive Director, Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning; Said Abutali, Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration; and Jumoke Gafar, Board Secretary and Legal Adviser.
The nominations cover key operational and regulatory functions, including financial management, petroleum product distribution and storage infrastructure, hydrocarbon processing, economic regulation, corporate administration, and health, safety and environmental oversight.
Tinubu urged the Senate to consider and confirm the nominees. Akpabio expressed hope that the confirmation process would be concluded expeditiously before referring the request to the relevant Senate committees on Petroleum Resources for further legislative consideration.
The committees were directed to report back to the Senate within one week.
The NMDPRA is responsible for regulating Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum activities under the Petroleum Industry Act. Its oversight covers areas including petroleum product processing, transportation, storage, distribution, supply and marketing, making its leadership critical to the implementation of the country's petroleum regulatory framework.
