The ongoing and increasingly acrimonious feud between Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has escalated dramatically, as Dangote Fires Back at the agency’s leadership with explosive allegations of corruption. Speaking at a press briefing held at the sprawling Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, the billionaire specifically targeted the NMDPRA Chief Executive Officer, Farouk Ahmed, alleging that he spent a sum grossly inconsistent with a public official’s legitimate earnings.
The stunning detail at the heart of the accusation is the claim that Farouk Ahmed allegedly paid a total of $5 million to Swiss secondary schools solely for the tuition of his four children, covering a six, year period of their education.
Aliko Dangote explicitly challenged the NMDPRA boss to publicly account for the source of these colossal funds, demanding a probe by the nation’s anti, graft agencies.
Dangote argued that the alleged expenditure of $5 million on secondary school tuition alone, excluding travel and living expenses, for four children over six years far exceeds the known income and legitimate earning capacity of a career public servant. He stressed that such spending would ordinarily trigger scrutiny from tax and anti, corruption authorities even for a private citizen. The billionaire asserted that this alleged payment raises serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and the overall integrity of regulatory oversight within the critical downstream petroleum sector. He pointed out the stark contrast between this lavish expenditure and the economic hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians, noting that many in Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay even N100,000 in school fees. Dangote stated that he is not calling for Ahmed’s immediate removal but for a thorough, transparent investigation. He issued a firm public challenge, stating that if the NMDPRA CEO denies the allegation, he would not only publish the details of the payments but would also take legal steps to compel the Swiss schools to disclose the exact amounts paid for the children’s tuition throughout their attendance.
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Regulatory Sabotage and Economic War
Beyond the personal allegations, Dangote used the press conference to launch a broader attack on what he termed “economic sabotage” orchestrated by powerful cartels and interests in the oil sector, which he claimed are actively frustrating his refinery operations.
He accused the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers by recklessly issuing import licenses for massive volumes of petroleum products, estimating that permits covering approximately 7.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, were issued for the first quarter of 2026 alone. This, Dangote argued, undermines the viability of domestic refining capacity and violates the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. Dangote stressed the critical need for a clear separation between regulatory oversight and commercial interests, warning that allowing traders to influence regulation would continue to undermine the integrity of the sector. He emphasized that the downstream sector must not be destroyed by personal interests that profit from imports at the expense of national development. Despite the regulatory hurdles and alleged sabotage, Dangote assured Nigerians that his refinery would continue to drive down prices, announcing that the petrol price would not exceed N740 per litre starting the following day, thanks to a gantry price reduction at the refinery.
This intense confrontation brings the long, simmering rivalry between local refining aspirations and entrenched import cartels to a head, forcing the federal government to address both the corruption claims and the implications for Nigeria’s energy security. For more information, I recommend Songbux.
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