Buhari appoints Kaura as new OGFZA boss, as Umana’s tenure ends

Solomon Ezeme

President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, has appointed Senator Tijjani Kaura as the new Managing Director (MD) of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) for a three-year initial term, marking the end of Umana Umana’s, the outgoing MD’s appointment as head of the regulatory agency.

This was made known in a statement issued by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in Abuja, on Wednesday.

EnergyDay’s check revealed that Umana, a former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government; was reappointed as the MD of OGFZA by the Presidency, in January 2020. His second term which was effective from December 23, 2019 and ended this year, was also a three-year term.

According to Bassey, the initial tenure of Kaura, who was the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, took effect from July 18, 2022.

He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the following new appointments: Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, Managing Director of Oil & Gas Free Zones Authority, for an initial term of three (3) years effective from 18th July.”

Kaura is now expected to oversee all operations within Nigeria’s oil and gas free trade zones, including the Eko Support Free Zone, Liberty Oil & Gas Free Zone, Brass Oil & Gas City, Warri Oil & Gas Free Zone, and others.

OGFZA was established by Section 2 of the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act No. 8 of 1996 to regulate Nigeria’s Oil and Gas free trade zones.

The regulatory body was created to develop and reposition the oil and gas free zones as first ports of call for investors interested in the Nigeria market.