The Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum Regulation has begun the screening of nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu to lead Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, marking a critical step in reshaping oversight of the oil and gas sector.
The committee, chaired by Senator Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South, is conducting the exercise in line with its mandate under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, nominee for Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission chief executive suggested urgent stakeholder collaboration to rescue Nigeria’s oil and gas sector amid rapid global transition.
She warned lawmakers that fragmentation and outdated processes were costing Nigeria value, revenues and relevance in an increasingly competitive global energy market.
“We must sit with our stakeholders and come up with enabling laws, regulations and policies to guide the industry,” Eyesan told the senators.
She said collaboration must go beyond rhetoric, stressing: “One of the core pillars for me is effective stakeholder collaboration.
“Working with critical stakeholders like the Senate, we can channel the industry in the right direction.”
She identified digital reform as urgent, saying: “Without real numbers, you don’t know what you’re dealing with.
“If you don’t have a digitised system in today’s operations, you are losing money and wasting money.”
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Eyesan lamented missed opportunities, declaring: “We are leaving value on the table today while the world is transiting at jet speed.”
She questioned Nigeria’s paradox, saying gas wealth should end energy poverty. “We sit on over 200 trillion cubic feet of gas. It is unthinkable,” she said.
“How can we be impoverished, struggling with electricity, yet so richly endowed?” Eyesan asked.
She said the Petroleum Industry Act remained central, adding: “The PIA is a valuable document. We must leverage it to achieve our objectives.”
The nominee for Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority chief executive, Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, also appeared before the committee for screening.
The nominations followed the resignation of the former chief executives of both agencies, prompting President Bola Tinubu to seek expedited Senate confirmation.
Explaining the urgency, Sumaila said: “The screening was conducted immediately due to the necessity and emergency nature of these appointments.”
He added that the committee’s report would be presented to the Senate on Friday.
Mohammed, a seasoned oil and gas professional, is expected to defend his nomination by presenting his credentials and vision for the midstream and downstream sector before the committee.
His career spans several decades, including senior roles at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, where he served as Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and later as Group Executive Director for Gas and Power.
Eyesan, on his part, brings extensive experience in upstream operations, petroleum economics and strategic planning.
He previously served as Executive Vice-President for Upstream Operations at NNPC and is widely regarded as a technocrat with deep knowledge of Nigeria’s exploration and production landscape.
At the conclusion of the screening exercise, the committee is expected to compile and submit its report to the Senate plenary, where lawmakers will deliberate and decide on the confirmation of the nominees.
NAN
