Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday named Nurlan Nogayev, previously a provincial governor, as energy minister - a key position in the oil- and gas-exporting nation - and reshuffled a number of other senior officials. 

The previous minister, Kanat Bozumbayev, was appointed a presidential aide upon his request, Bozumbayev’s spokesman said, as recovery after back surgery would have precluded him from frequent travel required of a minister. 

Nogayev, 52, had mostly worked in the oil industry before becoming the governor of the western Atyrau province which is home to the Central Asian nation’s biggest oilfields, Kashagan and Tengiz. 

Tokayev appointed Madina Abylkasymova, until now a deputy central bank governor, the head of a newly established financial supervision agency, the president’s office said.