President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested the Senate to confirm six nominees as Executive Directors of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), comprising three serving directors nominated for reappointment and three new nominees.
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The nominations were conveyed in a letter to the Senate, with each nominee expected to serve a five-year term upon confirmation.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 30, 2026, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite consideration of the nominations to ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the authority’s regulatory oversight capacity.
The three Executive Directors nominated for reappointment are Abiodun Adeniji, Executive Director, Finance and Accounts; Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community.
The three new nominees are Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa, proposed as Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure; Ogechukwu Modie, Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning; and Said Abutalib, Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration.
According to the presidency, the nominations are intended to sustain the authority’s operations while strengthening its capacity to regulate Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
“The President urged the Senate to consider the nominations expeditiously to ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the Authority’s oversight capacity,” the statement said.
Tinubu also approved the appointment of Jumoke Gafar as Secretary to the Board/Authority and Legal Adviser, subject to the completion of the statutory processes prescribed under Section 46 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The appointment places Gafar in a position to provide legal and administrative support to the authority, subject to the applicable statutory requirements.
The latest nominations follow Tinubu’s appointment of Engineer Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the chief executive of the NMDPRA in April 2026.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act, is responsible for regulating the midstream and downstream sectors of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Its responsibilities include oversight of petroleum processing, transportation, storage, distribution, retail operations and other activities within its statutory mandate.
The authority also performs regulatory functions relating to health, safety, environmental standards and economic regulation within the sectors under its supervision.
The proposed appointments are expected to strengthen the authority’s management structure across its major operational departments.
While the three serving Executive Directors have been nominated for another term, the three new nominees will join the authority’s executive management if confirmed by the Senate.
The nominations remain subject to legislative confirmation, while Gafar’s appointment is subject to the completion of the applicable statutory processes.
The President’s request now awaits consideration by the Senate.
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