- Abe brings prior experience to the role, having served on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
- President Tinubu urged the Senate to treat the confirmation process as a priority, noting that the nominations follow the recent appointment
- His nomination is part of a broader effort to strengthen regulatory oversight in the oil and gas industry
President Bola Tinubu has moved to reshape the leadership of Nigeria’s petroleum regulators with the nomination of former senator Magnus Abe as Chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Eko Hot Blog reports that the president conveyed the nomination in a formal communication to the Senate, alongside a separate request seeking legislative confirmation for 20 additional candidates proposed for the boards of both the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
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According to a statement released on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Abe brings prior experience to the role, having served on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and currently heading the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
His nomination is part of a broader effort to strengthen regulatory oversight in the oil and gas industry.
Also listed as nominees to the NUPRC board are Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi, a former chairman of the Trade Union Congress in Kaduna State, and Mr Sunday Adebayo Babalola, who previously served as a deputy director at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources. Both are expected to serve as non-executive commissioners.
The proposed executive commissioners for the upstream regulator include 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), with Ms Olayemi Adeboyejo nominated as Secretary and Legal Adviser.
While some of the nominees were appointed under previous administrations, several others are fresh selections by President Tinubu.
In a separate submission to the Senate, the president named Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as Chairman of the NMDPRA board.
Adeniji, a lawyer with decades of experience in the energy sector, has previously advised both the Federal Government and international institutions on oil and gas reforms and currently leads ENR Advisory.
Other nominees to the midstream and downstream authority include Chief Kenneth Kobani and Mrs Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members, as well as executives covering finance, hydrocarbon processing, gas infrastructure, distribution systems, economic regulation and corporate services.
Barrister Olawale Dawodu was also proposed as the board’s secretary and legal adviser.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to treat the confirmation process as a priority, noting that the nominations follow the recent appointment and confirmation of chief executive officers for both agencies.
He further charged all nominees to uphold professionalism, accountability and efficiency in regulating Nigeria’s vital oil and gas sector.
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