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By Adewale Sanyaolu and Juliana Taiwo Obanloye, Abuja
The turbulence in Nigeria’s petroleum downstream sector deepened yesterday as President Bola Tinubu dismissed the Authority Chief Executive and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Saidu Mohammed.
His removal comes just four months after he took office following the controversial exit of his predecessor, Mr. Farouk Ahmed.
A statement issued by Presidential spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, named Mr. Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the replacement for Mohammed.
The appointment is said to be subject to confirmation by the Senate.
The statement disclosed further that the sack of Mohammed was in “public interest”
Onanuga said the leadership change, made in pursuant to the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, is aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
“Mr Umar is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors, and a proven track record in strategic leadership, operational transformation, and large-scale project delivery,” the statement reads.
“He is a graduate of Accounting from Bayero University and an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
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Pending Senate confirmation of the new nominee, the most senior official of the NMDPRA will oversee operations in an acting capacity.”
The presidential aide said Tinubu thanked the outgoing chief executive for his service and wished him well in his future endeavours.
Onanuga added that the president expressed his commitment to ensuring capable leadership in key regulatory institutions to advance energy security, sector reform, and sustainable economic growth.
Meanwhile, checks by Daily Sun revealed that Umar until his appointment was the Group Sales and Marketing Director for Dangote Cement.
Umar joined DCP as Group Sales and Marketing Director with over 20 years experience in senior and executive functions within the downstream Petroleum and Cement manufacturing sectors with a focus on transformational leadership.
He started his career in Oando Plc and rapidly rose to hold different management roles within the marketing business and led the Sales and Marketing Transformation plan successfully.
In 2014 he moved to Lafarge Africa as the Energy and Power Director and subsequently managed the Strategy and Business Development portfolio for West Africa in addition,where he led the development and execution of critical projects within Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroun.
In 2016, he became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ashaka Cement Plc and spearheaded the turnaround of the business until his departure in 2019 to join Dangote Industries Ltd as Group Chief Commercial Officer.
