President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has alleged that the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland, demanding a full investigation and public explanation.
Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, insisting that Ahmed should appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to explain how such funds were raised, warning that the issue could undermine public trust and investor confidence if left unresolved.
“I’ve actually had people making complaints about a regulator who has actually put his children in secondary school,” Dangote said. “That secondary school education, which is six years, four of them cost Nigeria $5m, you cannot imagine somebody paying $5m for educating four children.
”Questioning the consistency of the alleged spending with public service earnings, Dangote added, “When you look at his income, his income does not match paying this kind of fee… the taxman has to look at my taxes and how much I pay.
”He also highlighted the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians, noting, “From Sokoto, where he comes from, people are struggling to pay N100,000 for school fees… I cannot understand why somebody who has worked all his life in government has paid $5m for his children’s school fees.
”Dangote stressed that he was not calling for Ahmed’s removal but a transparent investigation. “I am not calling for his removal, but for a proper investigation… What is happening amounts to economic sabotage,” he said, adding that he would publish tuition details and pursue legal action if the claim is denied.
The NMDPRA had earlier dismissed similar allegations in July, describing them as an orchestrated smear campaign. When contacted again, the agency’s spokesman, George Ene-Ita, said, “For now, no comment.
”Dangote also criticised regulatory practices in the downstream petroleum sector, warning that conflicts of interest and excessive fuel imports were harming Nigeria’s development, and insisted that local refining remains critical to the country’s economic future.
