President Bola Tinubu has approved the removal of Saidu Mohammed as chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The president also nominated Rabiu Umar as his replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
President Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy Bayo Onanuga announced the development in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the change was made in the public interest and in line with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
The presidency said the decision was aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
Pending Senate confirmation of the new nominee, the most senior official in the agency will oversee operations in an acting capacity.
Tinubu thanked Mr Mohammed for his service and wished him well.
Mohammed was appointed in December 2025 after the exit of former chief executive Farouk Ahmed.
The NMDPRA regulates activities in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sector, including processing, distribution and marketing.
Umar has over 25 years of experience in the energy, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, according to the presidency.
He studied accounting at Bayero University and also attended Harvard Business School.
The statement said he has worked in both public and private sector roles. Umar previously served as managing director of Ashaka Cement. He also held leadership roles at Lafarge, where he worked on energy and power projects.
Before that, he spent more than a decade at Oando in finance, marketing and operations, later overseeing terminal and logistics activities.
