Meet Rabiu Umar, Dangote Cement Executive Tapped by Tinubu as Fuels Market Watchdog
President Bola Tinubu has approved the removal of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Saidu Mohammed, and nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as his replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
The decision was announced in a State House press release issued Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
A career across oil marketing, cement, and infrastructure
Umar is a senior commercial and operations leader with over 25 years’ experience spanning the energy, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. He is described in the statement as having a track record in strategic leadership, operational transformation and large-scale project delivery — experience that will now be tested in a regulatory role overseeing Nigeria’s fuels market architecture.
From Oando to West Africa strategy roles
Umar began his career at Oando Plc, where he rose through multiple management positions in the marketing business. He later led a Sales and Marketing Transformation programme credited with improving execution and performance.
In 2014, he joined Lafarge Africa as energy and power director, and subsequently expanded his responsibilities to include strategy and business development for West Africa, where he worked on projects across Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon.
Turnaround leadership at Ashaka Cement; group commercial role at Dangote
In 2016, Umar became Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ashaka Cement Plc, where he spearheaded a turnaround of the business until 2019.
He then joined Dangote Industries Limited as Group Chief Commercial Officer, and later became Group Sales and Marketing Director at Dangote Cement Plc (DCP), bringing decades of experience across downstream petroleum and cement manufacturing with a focus on transformational leadership.
Education and affiliations
He holds a degree in Accounting from Bayero University, Kano, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors.
What comes next
Umar’s nomination as NMDPRA chief executive is subject to Senate confirmation, after which he would take charge of a regulator central to Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum governance, including market oversight tied to fuel supply, distribution and pricing dynamics.
