Regulators Resign, Allegations Erupt: Tinubu’s Oil Sector Reset Meets $5m Swiss School Fees Controversy”
By Paul Ebi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executives of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignation of their current heads.
In a letter to the Senate dated December 17, 2025, the President requested expedited approval of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The nominations followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former CEO of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former CEO of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulators established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
According to the State House press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the nominees are seasoned professionals with decades of experience in the oil and gas sector.
Eyesan, an Economics graduate of the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy between 2019 and 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University. He has held several top positions in the energy sector, including Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate at NNPC, where he played a key role in shaping Nigeria’s gas policy framework, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the PIA.
Mohammed has been associated with major gas infrastructure projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG expansion initiatives. He was also recently announced as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
Meanwhile, the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed comes amid renewed public attention following allegations circulating online regarding his personal finances. The allegation claims that Ahmed allegedly spent over $5 million on the foreign secondary education of his four children in Switzerland, attending elite institutions including Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School.
The claims, which also reference additional tertiary education costs, including an alleged Harvard MBA completed in 2025 by one of his children, have sparked public debate on social media over accountability and sources of wealth among public officials. The allegation, signed by Aliko Dangote, argues that Nigerians deserve transparency, especially in the context of widespread economic hardship.
As of the time of filing this report, no official response has been issued by Engineer Farouk Ahmed regarding the allegations, and no court or investigative body has established any wrongdoing.
The Senate is expected to consider President Tinubu’s nominations in the coming days, as the administration moves to ensure continuity and stability in the regulation of Nigeria’s vital petroleum sector.
