Farouk Ahmed has resigned as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) amid corruption allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in which he also said Gbenga Komolafe has left his position as the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu has sent the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as their replacement.
The president wrote to the lawmakers, asking for the expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Saidu Mohammed as NMDPRA chief.
“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry,” the statement read in part.
Hours before his resignation, the former NMDPRA chief visited Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
Dressed in traditional attire, the Bauchi-born spent less than 30 minutes before he left the premises.
While the reason for the visit was unclear, he also declined to speak with journalists, saying, “It’s already late for an interview. It’s past 5 p.m. Work has closed.”
Dangote’s Accusation, Search For ‘Justice’
The House of Representatives has summoned both parties and asked them to stop public comments.
His visit came in the wake of the brawl between him and Dangote, which saw the latter petitioning the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and financial impropriety.
In the petition submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, Dangote asked the anti-graft agency to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the former NMDPRA chief.
Africa’s richest man accused him of living beyond his means, claiming four of his children had attended secondary schools in Switzerland, with costs running into several millions of dollars.
He claimed approximately $5 million had been spent on their secondary education and upkeep over six years, plus an extra $2 million on tertiary education, including an alleged $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of Ahmed’s children.
The reputed industrialist listed the children’s names and schools they attend, asking the ICPC to prosecute Ahmed in line with the laws of the land.
“We have no reservation that, being a matter that is in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected,” part of the petition read.
The ICPC acknowledged receipt of the petition, promising that it will be “duly investigated.”
On Sunday, the industrialist accused the NMDPRA leadership, under Ahmed, of economic sabotage, claiming that certain regulatory actions were undermining local refining capacity.
At a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Dangote alleged that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating domestic refiners and perpetuating reliance on imports.
He alleged that the regulator was colluding with international traders and oil importers to the disadvantage of local operators.
Ahmed Labels Allegations ‘Wild, Spurious’
Following the series of allegations, Ahmed, in a terse statement, described Dangote’s claims as “wild and spurious.”
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat,” he said.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name.”
Year-Long Battle, Reps Intervention
The renewed feud between Dangote and Ahmed dates back to 2024, when the NMDPRA accused local refiners, including Dangote Refinery, of producing low-quality products compared to imported ones.
He claimed Dangote was trying to monopolise the supply of energy products in Nigeria, allegations the refiner denied.
NMDPRA also accused the Lagos-based refinery of being in its pre-commissioning stage and not having an operational license.
The House of Representatives had then called for a probe into the matter and Ahmed’s suspension.
Below is full statement from presidency:
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
Engineers Farouk Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe resign, President Tinubu nominates successors to the Senate for approval
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.
The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
December 17, 2025
