By Jerry Needam
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Senator Magnus Abe and former Minister of State for Trade, Chief Kenneth Kobani, for strategic positions on the boards of Nigeria’s top petroleum regulatory agencies, underscoring his administration’s focus on experience and sectoral expertise in managing the oil and gas industry.
In a letter to the Senate seeking confirmation, President Tinubu nominated Senator Magnus Abe as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Abe, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District for two terms, brings extensive legislative and governance experience to the role.
He is a former board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and currently serves as Chairman of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, a federal agency focused on environmental sustainability.
Alongside Abe, the President also nominated several non-executive and executive commissioners to the NUPRC board, reinforcing the leadership structure of the upstream petroleum regulator following the recent confirmation of its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.
In a separate letter to the Senate, President Tinubu nominated Chief Kenneth Kobani as a non-executive member of the Board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Kobani, a lawyer, is a seasoned public administrator who previously served as Minister of State for Trade under former President Goodluck Jonathan and later as Secretary to the Government of Rivers State during the administration of Nyesom Wike.
The President also named Mr Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji as Chairman of the NMDPRA board, alongside other executive and non-executive directors to strengthen oversight of the midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
The nominations come shortly after the Senate confirmed Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to consider and approve the nominations expeditiously, stressing the importance of effective regulation in repositioning Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for growth, transparency, and sustainability.
He further charged all nominees and appointees, including Senator Abe and Chief Kobani, to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism and dedication in line with national expectations and the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The nominations highlight the administration’s reliance on experienced political leaders and technocrats to steer critical institutions at a time of ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s energy sector.
