President Muhammadu Buhari has replaced the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) with the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC). This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan during the confirmation of board members of NURC.
Lawan said, “The implication of the approval of board members for the commission is that the Department of Petroleum Resources has ceased to exist.
“The Petroleum Industry will go through a reform process and the process has already started. This Commission is one of the huge arms of those reforms that will stabilize the petroleum industry in Nigeria.”
Nominees include Isa Ibrahim Modibbo (Chairman), Gbenga Komolafe (Chief Executive), Hassan Gambo (Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts), and Ms. Rose Ndong (Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management). According to reports, the nominees’ appointment is in accordance with Sections 11 and 18 (1-5) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
Lawan said, “While the Senate confirms them, we expect nothing less than commitment and patriotism on their side. The Senate wishes them the best and a very fruitful tenure as they take their offices.
“We expect that other regulatory authority for downstream and midstream will also be confirmed as soon as possible, so they also start their work immediately”, he said.
