Fuel feud explodes as Dangote alleges $5m foreign school fees against NMDPRA boss

Nigeria’s downstream petroleum dispute took a sharper turn on Sunday after President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, openly accused the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of allegedly spending about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland.

Dangote made the allegation during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where he called for an independent investigation and demanded that Ahmed publicly explain the source of the funds, describing the matter as one that borders on economic sabotage.

According to the billionaire businessman, the alleged expenditure is irreconcilable with the earnings of a public servant and raises serious questions about accountability and regulatory integrity.

“I have had complaints about a regulator who allegedly spent $5 million to educate his four children in secondary school abroad,” Dangote said. “That kind of money cannot be explained by income from public service.”

He argued that even private business owners would attract scrutiny from tax authorities over such spending, stressing that public officials should be held to even higher standards.

Dangote also contrasted the alleged expenditure with the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians, noting that many families struggle to pay school fees of as little as N100,000.

“In parts of the country, children are at home because their parents cannot raise N100,000 for school fees, yet someone who has spent his career in government is allegedly paying $5 million for secondary education,” he said.

While stating that he was not calling for Ahmed’s removal, Dangote insisted that the matter must be investigated by the Code of Conduct Bureau or any other appropriate agency to protect public trust and investor confidence.

“If he denies it, I will publish the details of the tuition paid and take legal steps to compel the schools to disclose the payments made,” he warned.

Beyond the personal allegation, Dangote renewed his criticism of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, accusing powerful interests of deliberately frustrating local refining in favour of fuel imports.

He described the continued importation of refined petroleum products as unethical and damaging to national development, adding that although dozens of refinery licences have been issued, none has progressed due to what he called an unconducive regulatory environment.

“The downstream sector must not be captured by personal or commercial interests. A trader should never be a regulator,” Dangote said.

He maintained that local refining would ultimately benefit Nigerians, even if fuel importers incur losses, noting that his refinery was working to ensure that recent reductions in gantry prices are reflected at filling stations across the country.

The allegation revives similar claims made in July by a protest group, which the NMDPRA dismissed at the time as a coordinated smear campaign built on falsehoods.

When contacted for a response on Sunday, the NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, declined comment, saying, “No comment for now.”