Petrol Price War Escalates as Dangote Accuses NMDPRA Chief of $5m School Fees Scandal

Nigeria’s intensifying petrol price war took a dramatic turn on Sunday as Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, publicly accused the head 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 called for a full investigation, warning that the allegation, if left unresolved, could further erode public trust and investor confidence in Nigeria’s energy sector.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, the billionaire industrialist said the alleged expenditure was inconsistent with the earnings of a public official and should ordinarily trigger scrutiny from tax and anti-corruption authorities. He stressed that his comments were based on complaints brought to his attention, but insisted that silence from regulators would only deepen suspicion. According to Dangote, public accountability is essential, especially at a time when Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship.

Dangote drew a sharp contrast between the alleged foreign school fees and the realities faced by ordinary families across the country, noting that many parents struggle to pay as little as ₦100,000 in school fees. He added that even his own children attended secondary school in Nigeria, underscoring his belief that such spending by a government regulator raises serious ethical and economic questions.

The allegation itself is not new. In July, the NMDPRA dismissed similar claims as a smear campaign, after a group alleged that Ahmed spent over $5.5 million on the foreign education of his children. The agency described the accusations at the time as false and malicious. However, Dangote revisited the issue, saying the matter should be properly investigated by the Code of Conduct Bureau or any other relevant authority to clear doubts and restore confidence.

Beyond the personal allegation, Dangote used the occasion to criticise what he described as deep-rooted problems in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, accusing powerful interests of undermining local refining through excessive fuel imports. He warned that allowing traders to influence regulation would damage the integrity of the industry, stressing that Nigerians would ultimately benefit from domestic refining. When contacted for a response to the latest comments, an NMDPRA spokesman declined to comment.

source: punch