The allegations that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, travelled out of the country without authorisation has proven to be untrue as the CEO travelled on official engagement with the full approval of relevant authorities, and that the high-ranking official is not under any investigation.

It would be recalled that a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), with reference number 58775/II/319 dated December 11, 2024, directed that all proposed public-funded international travels are subjected to the approval of the President, which must be obtained before the expected date of travel.

Meanwhile, in a letter titled, “Re: Clarification on Allegation against Farouk Ahmed and the NMDPRA,” the National Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, said the allegations were untrue.

Ajasa, in a statement dated June 2, 2025, said: “We have discovered that the issues raised in our earlier correspondence are unfounded, misleading, and do not accurately reflect the true state of affairs within the agency. We wish to reaffirm our readiness to collaborate with Farouk Ahmed and the NMDPRA to bridge the communication gap between the youths and students’ constituency and the agency.”

However, further review of the activities of NMDPRA under the leadership of Ahmed revealed that the agency had achieved remarkable successes in delivering its mandates as dictated by the Petroleum Industry Act.

The agency has emplaced mechanisms that ensured energy security for the country over the years by ensuring supply of feedstock to domestic refineries, gas-based industries and other midstream facilities, among others.

The achievements mark a milestone coinciding with two years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s transformative administration.

The Authority has also ensured that its regulations and guidelines are inclusive by engaging relevant stakeholders in framing its regulatory requirements, effectively transforming the regulatory space into a business-enabling environment, among others.