President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday asked the Senate to confirm the appointments and reappointments of seven executive directors and the Board Secretary of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Tinubu request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary. The President said the appointments were made in accordance with Section 41, subsections 2 and 3 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

The three nominees for reappointment are Abiodun Adeniji, Executive Director, Finance and Accounts; Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamode, Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community.

The three are serving executive directors who are being proposed for another term. If confirmed, they will continue in their respective portfolios at the regulatory authority.

The four nominees for new appointments are Mobolaji Musa, Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installation and Partnership; Ogechukwu Modie, Executive Director, Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning; Said Abutali, Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration; and Jumoke Gafar, Board Secretary and Legal Adviser.

The new nominees are expected to bring fresh experience to the management of the authority if confirmed by the Senate.

Tinubu urged the Senate to consider and confirm the nominees, while Akpabio expressed hope that the lawmakers would conclude the exercise expeditiously. The Senate President subsequently referred the request to the relevant committees on Petroleum Resources for further legislative consideration and directed them to report back to the chamber within one week.

The committees are expected to screen the nominees and present their report to the plenary for a final vote.

The NMDPRA is one of the regulatory agencies established under the Petroleum Industry Act to oversee Nigeria midstream and downstream petroleum sectors, including the transportation, storage, distribution and marketing of petroleum products. The authority plays a central role in licensing, safety regulation, pricing oversight and ensuring steady supply of petroleum products across the country. Its leadership is therefore critical to stability in the sector.

The nominations come against the background of the institutional restructuring of Nigeria petroleum industry under the Petroleum Industry Act, signed into law in August 2021. The Act provides the statutory framework for appointments into the management structure of the regulatory authority.

Tinubu had earlier appointed Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA in April, a nomination the Senate confirmed on May 7, 2026. The latest nominations are seen as part of efforts to ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the authority oversight capacity.

For stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, the confirmation process will be closely watched, especially given the importance of regulation to investment, safety and product availability. If confirmed, the nominees will serve a five year term. The Senate is expected to complete the screening within the one week deadline given by Akpabio, after which the nominees will formally assume or resume their roles at the NMDPRA.