Tinubu Nominates Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as New NMDPRA CEO

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the removal of Saidu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as his replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.

The decision, announced on April 29, 2026, by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, was taken “in the public interest” under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. It marks the second leadership change at the authority in roughly four months and forms part of broader efforts to strengthen regulatory effectiveness in Nigeria’s critical midstream and downstream petroleum sector. 

Umar brings over 25 years of high-level experience across energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure. A graduate of Accounting from Bayero University, Kano, he is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s General Management Program. His career spans senior roles at Oando Plc (where he handled marketing and sales transformation), Lafarge Africa (as Energy and Power Director and later Strategy and Business Development for West Africa), Ashaka Cement, and Dangote Industries, where he served as Group Chief Commercial Officer and Group Sales and Marketing Director. 

The nomination arrives amid persistent challenges in the downstream sector, including elevated domestic fuel prices that have intensified cost-of-living pressures on Nigerians. Petrol prices have climbed significantly in recent months, influenced by global oil volatility, subsidy removal, and supply dynamics, with pump prices often exceeding ₦1,200 per litre in parts of the country. Regulatory tensions between agencies and industry operators, including past clashes involving licensing, local refining capacity, and overlapping oversight with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), have also tested sector stability. 

Observers see Umar’s private-sector expertise in energy sales, operational transformation, and large-scale project delivery as potentially valuable for driving efficiency, improving investor confidence, and balancing regulatory oversight with industry growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda. However, his strong ties to Dangote Industries have sparked early commentary on potential questions of regulatory independence, given previous high-profile disputes between the refinery and the authority. 

Pending Senate approval, the most senior official at NMDPRA will act in the interim. The move underscores the administration’s focus on repositioning petroleum regulation to support a more stable, efficient, and investment-friendly midstream and downstream environment at a time when Nigerians continue to feel the bite of high energy costs.