Saidu Mohammed, the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, was fired by President Bola Tinubu four months after he was appointed.
Mohammed’s dismissal coincides with threats by members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria to cease operations due to the exorbitant cost of aviation fuel.
In a similar vein, his dismissal coincides with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s complaints that the NMDPRA was granting fuel importation licenses even though they had not been granted since the start of the year.
Rabiu Umar will take Mohammed’s place, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to the President on Information & Strategy.
In the interest of the public, President Bola Tinubu has authorised Mr. Saidu Mohammed’s dismissal as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s Authority Chief Executive.
Additionally, Mr. Rabiu Abdullahi Umar’s nomination as the NMDPRA’s new chief executive has been approved by the president. The statement partially stated, “The Senate must confirm the appointment.
According to Onanuga, the decision was made in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and is intended to support the Renewed Hope Agenda by enhancing regulatory efficacy in the midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
With more than 25 years of experience in the energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors, Mr. Umar is a seasoned executive with a track record of success in large-scale project delivery, operational transformation, and strategic leadership. He graduated from Harvard Business School and Bayero University with a degree in accounting.
The presidency announced that the NMDPRA’s top official would take over operations in an acting capacity, pending Senate confirmation of the new nominee.
The President stated that he is still dedicated to ensuring capable leadership in important regulatory institutions to promote energy security, sector reform, and sustainable economic growth, even as he thanked the departing chief executive for his service and wished him well in his future endeavours.
According to The PUNCH’s investigation, Umar served as Dangote Cement’s Group Sales and Marketing Director. He has worked in senior and executive roles in the downstream petroleum and cement manufacturing industries for more than 20 years. Rabiu began his career at Oando Plc and quickly advanced to various management positions in the marketing division.
According to our correspondent, Mohammed was asked to resign as the Federal Government works to address the aviation fuel crisis.
Previously, AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina wrote to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, on April 14, 2026, stating that the increase in Jet A1 prices had become intolerable for operators.
According to the PUNCH, AON stated in its letter that “the price of Jet A1 as sold by marketers has risen significantly from the initial N900/litre as at February 28, 2026, to N3,300/litre.” This is a rise of more than 300%. This enormous and artificial increase is significantly higher than international market benchmarks, which indicate a roughly 30% increase in the cost of crude oil, and is not in line with the rise in crude oil prices.
However, MEMAN questioned AON’s quoted prices and requested that the airlines look for other suppliers. MEMAN stated, “We would therefore strongly encourage any operators currently being charged at those levels to exercise their commercial right to seek alternative suppliers.”
Due to increased fuel prices, airlines have been threatening to cease operations since April 16. However, according to an NMDPRA report cited on Monday, “the indicative end-user price should range between N1,760 – N1,988 per litre in Lagos and N1,809 – N2,037 per litre in Abuja.”
Remember that in March, Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, disagreed with the departing chief executive of the NMDPRA regarding the downstream regulator’s issuance of fuel import licenses.
Six companies were granted licenses to import gasoline into the nation, according to Dangote. Since then, the agency has remained silent whenever attempts were made to get its response regarding the entry of gasoline vessels into the nation.
Remember how Dangote accused Farouk Ahmed, the NMDPRA’s first chief executive, of spending more than $5 million to send his kids to school overseas? Ahmed resigned his position.
In a December 2025 petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dangote claimed that Ahmed had spent roughly $7 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland.
In the petition, Dangote charged Ahmed with violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by abusing his position and allegedly spending millions of dollars in public funds illegally.
Dangote accused Ahmed of sabotage during a press conference, claiming that he was issuing careless import licenses at the refinery while his tanks were full. It was not immediately possible to determine whether Ahmed’s replacement was being fired for the same reason.
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