Photo caption: Saidu Mohammed (left) and Rabiu Abdullahi Umar
By Emeka Ugwuanyi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the removal of Mr Saidu Mohammed as the Authority Chief Executive (ACE) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), ending his four months reign as the helmsman at NMDPRA. Saidu Mohammed was nominated for the position on December 17, 2025, confirmed by the Senate on December 19, and formally assumed office on December 23, 2025. Saidu Mohammed is an accomplished oil and gas industry player.
The President, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, fired Saidu Mohammed in the public interest and has also approved the nomination of Mr Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the new Chief Executive of the NMDPRA. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, according to records, was a former Group Sales and Marketing Director at Dangote Cement Plc.
He began his career at Oando Plc, where he rose through various management positions within the marketing division and led a successful sales and marketing transformation programme, before moving in 2014 to Lafarge Africa Plc as Energy and Power Director and later overseeing Strategy and Business Development for West Africa, driving key projects across Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon. In 2016, he was appointed Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ashaka Cement Plc, where he led a business turnaround, and subsequently joined Dangote Industries Limited in 2019 as Group Chief Commercial Officer.
According to Onanuga, President Tinubu’s decision, made pursuant to the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, is aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Mr Umar is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors, and a proven track record in strategic leadership, operational transformation, and large-scale project delivery.
He is a graduate of Accounting from Bayero University and an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
Pending Senate confirmation of the new nominee, the most senior official of the NMDPRA will oversee operations in an acting capacity,” Onanuga added.
President Tinubu thanks the outgoing Authority Chief Executive for his service and wishes him well in his future endeavours.
The President remains committed to ensuring capable leadership in key regulatory institutions to advance energy security, sector reform, and sustainable economic growth, Onanuga stated.
