- Farouk Ahmed (NMDPRA) and Gbenga Komolafe (NUPRC) resign amid escalating conflict with Dangote Group over fuel import licences, pricing, and regulatory oversight.
- President Tinubu nominates Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan (NUPRC) and Saidu Aliyu Mohammed (NMDPRA) as replacements.
Nigeria’s petroleum sector entered a new phase of uncertainty on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Two key regulators resigned amid an escalating dispute involving the Dangote refinery.
First, the Presidency announced the resignation of Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). At the same time, Gbenga Komolafe stepped down as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Many industry players view the move as a direct consequence of the intensifying conflict between the Dangote refinery and the NMDPRA. The dispute centres on fuel importation, pricing, and regulatory control in the downstream sector.
The crisis escalated after Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, publicly accused Ahmed of economic sabotage. Soon after, he petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). He alleged that the regulator paid approximately $5 million for the secondary education of his four children in Switzerland.
On Sunday, December 14, Dangote openly questioned Ahmed’s source of wealth. Then, on Tuesday, December 16, he formally requested that the ICPC launch a full investigation. As a result, the controversy quickly gained national attention.
Following the petition, the Presidency summoned Ahmed to the Presidential Villa. Shortly after that meeting, officials announced his resignation. Although Komolafe did not play a direct role in the immediate dispute, sources said the Presidency chose a simultaneous leadership change at both agencies.
Next, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayi Onanuga, confirmed the development. He said President Bola Tinubu had forwarded the names of new nominees to the Senate for approval. According to Onanuga, the requests followed the resignation of Ahmed and Komolafe. He noted that both men were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari under the Petroleum Industry Act.
Meanwhile, the President nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the NUPRC. He also nominated Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA. Onanuga described both nominees as seasoned professionals.
Eyesan holds a degree in Economics from the University of Benin. She spent nearly 33 years at the NNPC and its subsidiaries. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President, Upstream, from 2023 to 2024. Before that, she was Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Strategy.
Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was born in 1957 in Gombe. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Earlier on Wednesday, December 17, Seplat Energy announced him as an independent non-executive director. In the past, he led the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company. He also chaired boards across the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
However, the resignations rattled the downstream oil sector. Marketers warned that the crisis could speed up business failures. They pointed to Dangote’s aggressive petrol price cuts as a major risk.
A senior marketer, who spoke anonymously, said officials invited Ahmed to the Presidential Villa on Wednesday morning. He believed the meeting led directly to the resignation. Still, he stressed that the main allegation concerned school fees for Ahmed’s children.
He added that issuing fuel import licences did not break the law. In his view, Dangote should not hold that decision against the regulator. Nonetheless, he admitted that the resignations had created tension across the sector. Dealers, he said, now feel uneasy when dealing with Dangote.
The marketer also warned of looming business collapse. Since Dangote cut the gantry price of petrol to N699 per litre, he said over 90 per cent of marketers stopped lifting products from private depots. His firm now supplies only its own stations.
He explained that two petrol vessels would arrive in Nigeria within weeks. His company had fully paid for the cargo. Yet he said selling at Dangote’s price would guarantee losses. In his words, slashing prices so sharply amounted to destructive competition designed to wipe out rivals. Therefore, the resignations only worsened market fears.
The roots of the dispute stretch back to 2024. That period followed the start of fuel production at the $20bn Dangote refinery. At the time, Dangote’s deputy, Devakumar Edwin, accused the NMDPRA of issuing import licences indiscriminately. He claimed those licences allowed “dirty” diesel and aviation fuel into Nigeria.
As a result, Edwin said the refinery had to export diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other markets. He also argued that price cuts aimed to support the Nigerian economy, not harm competitors.
In response, Ahmed made comments that sparked public outrage. He questioned the quality of Dangote fuel. He also warned against relying on a single refinery for national supply, citing energy security risks.
Ahmed further alleged that imported diesel met West African sulphur limits of 50 parts per million. By contrast, he claimed products from Dangote and some modular refineries ranged between 650 and 1,200 ppm. Those remarks triggered widespread calls for his removal.
Later, the NMDPRA defended fuel imports in a report released last week. It said supply shortages in September and October justified the licences. Official data showed that NNPC and other marketers imported at least 1.5 billion litres of petrol in November alone.
The authority reported daily imports of 52.1 million litres in November. That figure marked the highest level since Dangote began petrol production in September 2024. During the same period, the Lekki refinery supplied 19.5 million litres per day.
NMDPRA explained that supply fell below national demand in September and October 2025. In September, Dangote supplied 17.6 million litres per day, while imports reached 22.1 million litres per day.
Dangote reacted angrily. He accused Ahmed of sabotaging the economy by approving “reckless” import licences while refinery tanks remained full. He also claimed regulators planned to approve licences for 7.5 billion litres in the first quarter of 2026, despite his refinery’s supply guarantees. In addition, he rejected monopoly claims. He insisted that no one stopped others from building or buying refineries.
Soon after, Dangote escalated the issue further. He accused Ahmed of spending $5m on his children’s education and demanded that he face investigation by the ICPC and the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Although Ahmed did not respond publicly, associates said he expected the ICPC to clear him. Still, he left office before any probe began.
Meanwhile, Komolafe’s resignation is linked to earlier tensions with the Dangote refinery. Those tensions centred on the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation. In June 2024, Edwin accused international oil companies of blocking access to local crude by charging prices above the market rate.
The refinery also accused the NUPRC of weak enforcement. Although the commission defended its position, the dispute persisted. Eventually, the Federal Government ordered the NNPC to sell crude to Dangote in naira.
That naira-for-crude deal began in October 2024. It improved fuel supply, reduced queues, and helped push prices down. Dangote cut petrol prices from about N1,100 per litre to N875, and later to N739.
Despite the deal, Dangote said he still imported crude from the United States, Ghana, and other African countries. He noted that the US alone supplied 100 million barrels within a year.
After the resignations, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, pledged support for the incoming chief executives. Although PETROAN had earlier backed Ahmed, he said leadership change should improve service delivery.
Finally, analysts weighed in. Some said the exits confirmed long-standing concerns about corruption and weak regulation. Others described the moment as a test of regulatory independence under the Petroleum Industry Act. Civil society groups also demanded full investigations, stressing that resignation alone does not equal accountability.