President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm the nominations of Sola Enikanolaiye as minister of state for foreign affairs and Rabiu Umar as chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The requests were conveyed in separate letters read during plenary by Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu explained that Enikanolaiye’s nomination is in line with constitutional provisions and urged lawmakers to give it prompt consideration. If approved, he will serve as minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a related move, the president nominated Rabiu Umar to head the NMDPRA following the removal of the agency’s former chief, Saidu Mohammed, in April. The appointment is in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
The Senate has referred Enikanolaiye’s nomination to the committee of the whole for expedited consideration, while Umar’s nomination has been sent to the Senate committee on downstream petroleum and gas for further screening.
Akpabio assured that both nominations would receive swift legislative attention, citing the importance of the roles, particularly in Nigeria’s foreign policy and petroleum sector.
