Ziggy Ojiegbe

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday sacked the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Saidu Mohammed; replacing him with a former employee of Dangote Group, Mr Rabiu Abdullahi Umar.

Ad >>>

Incidentally, Dangote Refinery remains the dominant player in the Nigerian midstream and downstream petroleum industry which would now be regulated by Mr Umar as the Authority Chief Executive.

It is not clear why Engr Saidu Mohammed was urgently removed just four months into his appointment, but presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, declared that Mr Umar’s appointment is in the interests of the public.

“President Tinubu thanks the outgoing Authority Chief Executive for his service and wishes him well in his future endeavours.

“The President remains committed to ensuring capable leadership in key regulatory institutions to advance energy security, sector reform, and sustainable economic growth,” he stated.

While the appointment of Mr Umar awaits Senate confirmation, Onanuga said, the most senior official of the NMDPRA would oversee operations in an acting capacity.

He said the President’s decision was made pursuant to the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, with the objective to strengthen “regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Umar, a Harvard Business School alumnus and accounting graduate from Bayero University Kano, brings over 25 years of high-level experience across the energy and manufacturing sectors. His career began at Oando Plc, where he rose to become the Chief Operating Officer for Terminals and Logistics.

He later moved to Lafarge Africa, serving as the Energy and Power Director before taking the helm at Ashaka Cement Plc as Managing Director and CEO between 2016 and 2019. Most recently, Umar served as the Group Chief Commercial Officer at Dangote Industries Limited.