Bola Tinubu has removed the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Saidu Mohammed, four months after his appointment, the presidency said Wednesday.
Mohammed’s removal comes as airline operators warn they may shut down operations over soaring aviation fuel prices and amid tensions between regulators and industry players over fuel import licensing.
In a statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu approved Mohammed’s removal “in the public interest” and nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as his replacement, pending Senate confirmation.
The decision, made under the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, is intended to strengthen regulatory effectiveness in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors, the statement said.
Umar, a former executive at Dangote Cement, has more than two decades of experience in energy and manufacturing and previously worked at Oando Plc, where he held several management roles.
The presidency said the most senior official at the regulator will oversee operations in an acting capacity until the Senate confirms the new nominee.
Mohammed’s removal comes as the government faces mounting pressure over a spike in aviation fuel prices. The Airline Operators of Nigeria said in a letter dated April 14 that the cost of Jet A1 fuel had surged from 900 naira (about $0.70) per liter in late February to 3,300 naira (about $2.60), an increase of more than 300%.
The group warned the rise was unsustainable and threatened to halt operations.
However, the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria disputed the figures, urging airlines to seek alternative suppliers. A report by the regulator later suggested indicative prices should range between 1,760 and 2,037 naira per liter, depending on location.
The leadership change also follows a dispute with billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote whose Dangote petroleum refinery ihas criticized the regulator for issuing fuel import licenses despite claims to the contrary.
Dangote had earlier accused the agency of undermining local refining efforts by allowing multiple firms to import petrol while his refinery had sufficient supply.
The previous head of the regulator, Farouk Ahmed, resigned in 2025 after facing allegations of misconduct, including claims he spent millions of dollars on his children’s education abroad — allegations he did not publicly address.
Tinubu said he remains committed to ensuring effective leadership in key regulatory institutions to support energy security, sector reforms and economic growth.
