Senate approves NURC’s four-member board

President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of a four-man board for the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC) has been confirmed by the Senate.

Isa Ibrahim Modibbo, Chairman; Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive; Hassan Gambo, Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts; and Ms Rose Ndong, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, are among the confirmed nominees.

Following examination of a report by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, the nominees were confirmed in plenary on Wednesday.

Senator Albert Bassey Akpan, Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), said the nominees demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the petroleum industry, particularly the upstream petroleum sector, as well as the economics of petroleum exploration and production, when presenting the report.

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He further stated that the nominees’ nominations complied with Sections 11 and 18 (1-5) of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021.

“There are no adverse complaints against the nominees,” he says, “because record checks and other sorts of security agency investigations revealed no bad trace against them.”

The committee was satisfied with the applicants’ qualifications, experience, fitness, competence, and integrity to serve as NURC chairman, chief executive, and executive commissioners, according to Akpan.

The Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, stated that the NURC’s founding will create a platform for the stabilization of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

“As established in the Petroleum Industry Act, the Regulatory Commission has the great and huge responsibility of setting and establishing the commission,” he said.

“They have the unpleasant task of ensuring that they devote themselves and work hard to lay a solid and sturdy foundation for that subject, and that they do not waste time because time is of the importance.

“The petroleum business is undergoing change, and the process has already begun.

“This commission is one of the major pillars of the reforms that will bring Nigeria’s petroleum industry back into balance.

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“We expect nothing less than devotion and patriotism from them while the Senate confirms them.” As they take their seats in the Senate, the Senate bids them well and wishes them a long and prosperous stay.

“We anticipate that the additional regulatory authorities for downstream and midstream will be confirmed as quickly as possible, allowing them to get to work right away.”