KEY POINTS

• NUPRC board nominations name Magnus Abe chairman.
• NUPRC board nominations advance petroleum reforms.
• Senate confirmation is required for all nominees.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated former senator Magnus Abe as chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, advancing a fresh round of appointments to the boards overseeing Africa’s largest oil producer.

In separate letters sent to the Senate on Monday, Tinubu requested confirmation for Abe and 20 other nominees to serve on the boards of the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The nominations come weeks after lawmakers approved the chief executives of both agencies, completing a major phase in the rollout of the Petroleum Industry Act.

NUPRC board nominations reshape upstream oversight

Abe, who represented Rivers South-East in the Senate for two terms, previously served on the board of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He currently chairs the National Agency of the Great Green Wall, a federal environmental body. According to a statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Abe would lead the NUPRC board alongside non-executive commissioners Paul Jezhi, a former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna State, and Sunday Babalola, a former deputy director at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources.

Tinubu also nominated seven executive commissioners to the upstream regulator, including Muhammed Lamido for finance and Edu Inyang for exploration and acreage management. Justin Ezeala was named executive commissioner for economic regulation and strategic planning, while Henry Oki will oversee development and production.

Other nominees include Indabawa Alka for corporate services, Mahmood Tijani for health, safety and environment, and Olayemi Adeboyejo as secretary and legal adviser. Some of the nominees were first appointed under former President Muhammadu Buhari, while others are new to the board.

The NUPRC board nominations are central to enforcing new fiscal, licensing and regulatory frameworks introduced under the 2021 petroleum law.

NUPRC board nominations align with sector reforms

For the midstream and downstream authority, Tinubu nominated Adegbite Adeniji as chairman. Adeniji, an energy lawyer, previously advised the government on oil and gas reforms and now leads ENR Advisory.

Authorities named Kenneth Kobani, a former minister of state for trade, and Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members. Executive directors further nominated include Abiodun Adeniji for finance, Francis Ogaree for hydrocarbons, Oluwole Adama for gas infrastructure, and Mustapha Lamorde for corporate services.

Additional nominees cover distribution systems, economic regulation, and legal oversight. The Senate will begin screening in the coming weeks and then hold confirmation votes.