President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has removed Saidu Mohammed as the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) after a brief four-month tenure, citing public interest.
The decision, announced via a State House press release, is coming amid ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Following Mohammed’s removal, President Tinubu nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the new NMDPRA chief executive, subject to Senate confirmation under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Mohammed had assumed office on 22 December 2025, following his Senate confirmation on 19 December after a 16 December nomination by Tinubu.
He succeeded Farouk Ahmed, whose abrupt exit earlier that month had already signalled turbulence at the regulatory agency.
Farouk Ahmed’s departure from NMDPRA in mid-December 2025 capped a controversial tenure marked by high-profile clashes with industry stakeholders. Appointed in 2023 under the Petroleum Industry Act, Ahmed faced mounting criticism over regulatory decisions.
The tipping point came in the weeks leading to his exit when he was involved in a public feud with the Dangote Refinery.
The statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the changes were made to enhance regulatory oversight in the midstream and downstream petroleum segments.
Pending approval, NMDPRA’s most senior official will serve in an acting capacity.
Tinubu thanked Mohammed for his service and reiterated his administration’s focus on capable leadership to drive energy security, sector reforms, and economic growth.
Nigeria has been grappling with an aviation fuel (Jet A-1) crisis in recent months, intensified by global supply disruptions arising from Middle East tensions.
Since early 2026, escalating conflicts, particularly involving Iran, Israel, and proxy groups, have disrupted key shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz, spiking crude prices and constricting refined product supplies.
Domestically, this has led to Jet A-1 shortages at major airports, grounding flights and forcing airlines like Air Peace and Arik Air to scale down operations.
amid mounting pressure from local airline operators, who threatened to suspend operations over the lingering aviation fuel crisis and rising operating costs, the NMDPRA on Monday set a price band for aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1.
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