Dangote refinery row forces regulators to resign
The Nigerian oil and gas industry has been thrown into uncertainty following the resignation of the chief executives of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Engr Gbenga Komolafe, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Engr Farouk Ahmed. Both NUPRC and NMDPRA are responsible for enforcing petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the upstream and downstream sectors. Komolafe and Ahmed were appointed in September 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, came into force and had been reporting directly to President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Petroleum Minister, until their resignations. Farouk Ahmed’s exit follows his recent clash with industrialist Aliko Dangote, who petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over alleged misconduct. Dangote accused the NMDPRA leadership of economic sabotage, claiming that its policies were […]