President Bola Tinubu has nominated three serving officials for another term and three new executives to oversee finance, petroleum distribution, infrastructure, economic regulation, and corporate administration at the authority.
President Bola Tinubu has nominated six executive directors to lead key departments of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), forwarding their names to the Senate for confirmation.
The nominations, announced on October 30, 2026, comprise three serving executive directors seeking reappointment and three new nominees. If confirmed, all six will serve five-year terms.
The appointments cover critical areas of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry, including petroleum distribution, storage infrastructure, financial management, economic regulation, hydrocarbon processing, and corporate administration.
The three returning nominees are Abiodun Adeniji, Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha, and Mustapha Lamorde, while Ogechukwu Modie, Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa, and Said Abutalib are the new nominees.
The Returning Executives
Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha – Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure
Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha has been nominated for another term as Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure.
He first assumed the position in October 2021 and oversees a department responsible for regulating the infrastructure and systems involved in the distribution, storage, and retailing of petroleum products.
Ukoha studied law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduating in 1991, before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School.
Before joining the regulatory authority, he served as a director at ESCN Limited, a legal publishing firm based in Abuja.
His responsibilities cover an important part of Nigeria’s petroleum supply chain, particularly the infrastructure connecting processing facilities and storage terminals to distribution networks and consumers.
Mustapha Lamorde – Health, Safety, Environment and Community
Dr. Mustapha Lamorde has also been nominated for another five-year term as Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Community.
He brings more than two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, with a professional background spanning petroleum engineering, exploration, drilling, and production operations.
Lamorde earned a degree in geology and mining from the University of Jos in 2001 before obtaining a master’s degree in oil and gas engineering from Robert Gordon University, Scotland.
He began his career with Geoservices International as a drilling data engineer in the United Kingdom’s North Sea before joining Shell, where he spent approximately 12 years working across exploration, drilling, development, and production management operations, including deepwater projects.
His regulatory responsibilities include overseeing compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards across Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations.
Abiodun Adeniji – Finance and Accounts
Abiodun Adeniji has been nominated for reappointment as Executive Director of Finance and Accounts.
He is among the authority’s pioneer executive directors, having been part of its inaugural leadership following its establishment under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Adeniji oversees the finance and accounts directorate, which is responsible for the financial management and accountability systems supporting the regulator’s operations.
His nomination for another term provides continuity in the financial administration of an institution responsible for overseeing a significant part of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
The New Executive Nominees
Ogechukwu Modie – Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning
Ogechukwu Modie is the new nominee for Executive Director of Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning.
She brings experience across finance, management consulting, corporate strategy, and public-sector communications.
Modie holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management in the United Kingdom.
Her professional career includes positions at Agusto & Co, Heirs Alliance, Nextzon Business Services, and Makeda Fund Managers, where she gained experience in corporate finance, strategy consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity.
She entered the petroleum industry in 2015 when she became chief of staff to the then group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
She later served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Strategic Communications, where she led the Presidency’s Strategic Communications Unit.
Her nomination brings a combination of financial, strategic, and public-sector experience to a directorate responsible for the economic and planning dimensions of petroleum regulation.
Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa – Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure
Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa has been nominated as Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure.
He previously served as a non-executive director at NMDPRA, having joined the authority in February 2024.
Before his regulatory role, Musa was managing director of MAEB Energy, a position he assumed in November 2020.
He studied chemistry at Lagos State University between 1984 and 1988 before pursuing postgraduate studies in petroleum engineering at the University of Ibadan.
His nominated portfolio covers critical infrastructure within Nigeria’s petroleum industry, including processing plants, installations, and transportation systems.
The role comes at a time when Nigeria’s domestic refining landscape is evolving, with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and emerging modular refineries increasing the importance of effective infrastructure regulation and oversight.
Said Abutalib—Corporate Services and Administration
Said Abutalib is the new nominee for Executive Director of Corporate Services and Administration.
He is expected to oversee the authority’s corporate services and administrative functions, which support its internal operations, institutional management, and organizational effectiveness.
His nomination completes the six-member executive director structure proposed by President Tinubu.
What the Nominations Mean for NMDPRA
The six nominees are expected to oversee interconnected areas of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry, from financial accountability and product distribution to refining infrastructure and economic regulation.
Their proposed leadership comes as Nigeria continues to expand domestic refining capacity and strengthen its petroleum infrastructure.
The NMDPRA plays a central role in regulating activities across the midstream and downstream segments of the petroleum industry. Its oversight responsibilities include gas processing and transportation, petroleum product distribution, storage, refining, and related infrastructure.
The Presidency has said the nominations are intended to ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the authority’s regulatory and oversight capacity.
The Senate’s confirmation process will determine whether the six nominees proceed to serve their proposed five-year terms.
