The Senate on Thursday, May 7, 2026, confirmed the appointment of Rabiu Umar as Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The confirmation followed the presentation and consideration of a report by the Senate joint committees on Downstream Petroleum Sector and Gas during plenary in Abuja.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum Sector, Abdulrahman Kawu, said the nomination complied with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Kawu said the nominee possessed the technical competence, experience, and professional knowledge required for the position, adding that no petition was received against his nomination during the screening process.
He said that the joint committees cleared Umar after reviewing his credentials, records, and other relevant documents presented before lawmakers during the confirmation exercise.
The committees subsequently recommended that the Senate confirmed Umar as Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The Senate, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, considered the report and formally confirmed the nomination.
The upper legislative chamber also confirmed the appointment of Francis Asogwah as a commissioner of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC).
Similarly, the Senate confirmed seven nominees as commissioners of the National Population Commission representing different states across the federation.
Those confirmed included Kolawole Alabi from Ekiti, Nasiru Muazu from Zamfara, and Usman Tuga from Bauchi State.
Others confirmed by the Senate were Isiaka Yahaya from Kwara, Sadiq Rada from Katsina, Suleiman Umar from Jigawa, and Chiso Datijo from Sokoto State.
By Nefishetu Yakubu