Dangote Demands Probe of $5 Million Paid by NMDPRA Boss as Children’s School Fees Abroad
- Aliko Dangote has alleged that NMDPRA CEO Farouk Ahmed paid about $5 million in foreign school fees for his children
- Dangote called on the federal government to investigate the claims, saying the official should be allowed to clear his name
- Dangote assured Nigerians of further petrol price reductions, with PMS expected to sell for no more than N740 per litre in Lagos
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of living beyond his means, alleging that the latter paid $5 million for his children’s school fees in a secondary school in Switzerland.
Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a news conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, where he called on the federal government to investigate the Ahmed.
Source: Twitter
Dangote, who has been embroiled in a rolling conflict with the NMDPRA over the continued importation of petroleum products, alleged that Ahmed paid approximately $5 million in school fees to Swiss secondary schools for four of his children over a six-year period.
The business mogul did not name the schools involved but said the alleged expenditure raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
He argued that such spending does not align with the official income of the NMDPRA chief. Dangote stressed that he was not calling for Ahmed’s dismissal but for a proper investigation by relevant authorities, including the Code of Conduct Bureau.
He said the official should be given an opportunity to clear his name, adding that transparency was critical to public trust in regulatory institutions.
“He doesn’t need to be sacked. But let him clear that he has not compromised his various positions in government at the cost of Nigerians, when a lot of people in Sokoto can’t even go to school because of N100,000,” Dangote said.
He further stated that if the allegations are denied, he would consider legal action to compel the Swiss schools to disclose payment records related to the education of Ahmed’s children.
Dangote said such steps would help establish whether the payments were consistent with the official’s declared income.
NMDPRA undermining local refineries – Dangote
Beyond the personal allegations, Dangote also criticised the leadership of the NMDPRA over what he described as policies that undermine local refining.
He accused the regulator of issuing import licences that favour fuel imports over domestic production, despite assurances of sufficient local supply.
According to Dangote, the NMDPRA has approved licences for the importation of about 7.5 billion litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) for the first quarter of 2026.
He claimed this development puts pressure on the downstream sector and benefits entrenched interests involved in fuel importation.
Dangote warned that allowing commercial interests to influence regulation could weaken the sector, arguing that regulators should remain independent of trading activities.
He added that an unfavourable operating environment discourages investment in new refineries.
Speaking on fuel pricing, the Dangote Group chairman assured Nigerians that petrol prices would drop further, stating that PMS would sell for no more than N740 per litre in Lagos from Tuesday.
Legit.ng reported that the reduction followed a cut in the refinery’s gantry price to N699 per litre.
Dangote added that MRS filling stations would be the first to reflect the new price and disclosed that the refinery had reduced its minimum purchase requirement to allow more marketers, including independent operators, to access products. Dangote said the company would ensure that price reductions are passed on to consumers.
As of the time of filing this report, the NMDPRA and Farouk Ahmed had not publicly responded to the allegations.
Source: Getty Images
Students' unions suspend planned protest against NMDPRA
Legit.ng earlier reported that two student unions in Nigeria planned a protest against the leadership of NMDPRA, specifically calling for the resignation of Ahmed.
However, the unions later called off the protest on the grounds that the allegations against the leadership of NMDPRA were unfounded.
The unions had said they would engage in constructive dialogue and responsible engagement with the NMDPRA leadership, but the recent allegation by Dangote shows there might be issues to investigate in NMDPRA.
Source: Legit.ng
