Billionaire Aliko Dangote on Sunday accused the chief of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of paying about $5 million in school fees for his children in Switzerland and urged a formal investigation.
Speaking at a press conference at his Lekki refinery, Dangote said the alleged payment — which he says covered six years of education for four children — is inconsistent with a public servant’s official income and should be examined by the Code of Conduct Bureau or the courts.
“Let them now see whether his income matches the $5 million he has paid school fees for six years for four of his children,” he said.
Dangote framed the demand for a probe alongside wider complaints that the regulator’s licence and reporting practices favour fuel importers and harm local refining.
He described the regulator’s actions as “economic sabotage” and said the claims show why a formal inquiry is needed.
He said he was not asking for Ahmed’s removal but for investigation and legal scrutiny: “No, I don’t want Farouk to be sacked. But I want Farouk to be investigated and then also let the legal process take its toll,” Dangote told reporters.
The NMDPRA has previously dismissed similar claims as false and part of a smear campaign.
