President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a significant step to reshape Nigeria's energy regulatory landscape by formally requesting the Senate to confirm the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). This move signals a continued push to install seasoned professionals in critical roles within the nation's vital oil and gas sector.
A Distinguished Career Spanning Over Three Decades
Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan brings to the role an impressive legacy built over nearly 33 years of service at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. An Economics graduate from the University of Benin, she concluded her illustrious tenure at NNPC as the Executive Vice President, Upstream, a position she held from September 2023 until her retirement in November 2024.
Her career trajectory at the national oil company was marked by a series of strategic leadership roles. Immediately prior to her final executive role, Eyesan served as the Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer from November 2022 to September 2023. In this capacity, she was instrumental in developing NNPC Limited's comprehensive Sustainability Framework, driving organisational change and embedding cost efficiency across operations.
Strategic Leadership and Landmark Achievements
From July 2019 to November 2022, Eyesan held the position of Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy. This role placed her at the heart of the corporation's long-term vision, where she was responsible for crafting corporate strategies, coordinating planning and budgeting processes, and overseeing capital allocation.
Her tenure was characterised by a strong emphasis on financial discipline, ensuring all expenditures adhered strictly to approved Authority for Expenditure (AFE) guidelines. One of her most notable professional accomplishments was leading the complex commercial dispute resolution negotiations for the Escravos Gas-to-Liquid (EGTL) project. This successful settlement resolved long-standing legacy costs and secured multi-million-dollar revenues for both NNPC and the Nigerian state.
From Banking to Energy: A Formative Early Career
Before her decades-long service in the energy sector, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan cut her teeth in the Nigerian banking industry. Her professional journey began at the People's Bank of Nigeria, where she served as a Branch Manager in Lagos State from September 1989 to August 1991. She subsequently moved to Gulf Bank of Nigeria as a Treasury Officer, a role she held from September 1991 until January 1992, before transitioning to NNPC.
This diverse background in finance and strategy provided a solid foundation for her future roles in steering the commercial and strategic direction of Africa's largest national oil company.
The nomination of Eyesan follows President Tinubu's recent appointment of Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as the new Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). These appointments are viewed as part of a broader strategy to reinforce regulatory governance and expertise within Nigeria's petroleum industry, aiming for greater stability, efficiency, and investor confidence.
