PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES BOARD MEMBERS FOR NMDPRA, NUPRC, SEEKS SENATE CONFIRMATION

PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES BOARD MEMBERS FOR NMDPRA, NUPRC, SEEKS SENATE CONFIRMATION

Kingsley Ohens reporting For Urbanscoopnews

ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the names of nominees for the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to the Senate for confirmation, in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The request was conveyed in two separate letters addressed to the Senate President and read at plenary, in which the President urged lawmakers to expedite action on the confirmation process to ensure the effective functioning of the country’s petroleum regulatory framework.

For the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the President nominated former senator representing Rivers South-East, Magnus Abe, as Chairman of the board. Abe, a former board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and current chairman of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, was presented alongside other nominees with backgrounds spanning public service, regulatory administration and the oil and gas industry.

The list of nominees for the NUPRC board also includes executive commissioners responsible for key portfolios such as finance, exploration and acreage management, development and production, economic regulation, health, safety and environment, corporate services, as well as a secretary and legal adviser.

Similarly, President Tinubu nominated Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Adeniji, a legal practitioner with extensive experience in the energy sector, was named alongside other nominees drawn from diverse professional backgrounds to oversee the regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations.

Other nominees to the NMDPRA board include executive directors for finance, hydrocarbon processing, gas infrastructure, corporate services and economic regulation, as well as non-executive members and a board secretary.

The nominations come as part of ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to fully operationalise the regulatory institutions established under the Petroleum Industry Act, strengthen governance in the oil and gas sector, and improve efficiency and accountability across the industry.

The Senate is expected to refer the nominations to the relevant committees for screening and confirmation, after which the successful nominees will assume office upon approval by the upper legislative chamber.