Founder and President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of corruption, alleging that he spent $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland.
Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lekki, Lagos, describing the alleged expenditure as inconsistent with the income of a public servant and a threat to public confidence in regulatory institutions.
According to Dangote, the alleged amount covered six years of secondary education for four children, which he argued could not be reasonably explained by earnings from public service.
“I’ve had people complaining about a regulator whose four children attended secondary school abroad for six years at a cost of five million dollars,” Dangote said. “My children went to secondary school in Nigeria. They did not go abroad for secondary education,” he added.
Dangote questioned how a public official could afford such spending if public funds were being properly managed. “This is a system where some of us pay taxes, and we want to see our money put to proper use, not stolen,” he said.
“I do not understand how the authority’s chief executive could send four children to Switzerland for secondary school alone at the cost of five million dollars,” he alleged.
The billionaire businessman said the alleged expenditure raised serious concerns about income declaration, conflict of interest, and regulatory integrity within the downstream petroleum sector. “He must explain to Nigerians how he paid five million dollars for six years of his children’s education,” Dangote said.
“I don’t think anyone here has paid that kind of fees for their children. We cannot allow people to destroy a country just because they want to make money illegally,” he added.
Dangote also referenced reports of overseas university education for one of Ahmed’s children. “I know that one of them just finished at Harvard. Even if I were the one paying five million dollars, the tax authorities would ask questions about my income,” he said.
Dangote stressed that Ahmed should not be removed from office without due process but called for a thorough investigation by relevant authorities.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau or any appropriate agency should investigate whether his income matches this level of spending,” he said “He does not need to be sacked immediately. Let him clear his name and show that he has not compromised his position at the expense of Nigerians,” Dangote added.
He contrasted the allegation with the financial struggles of ordinary Nigerians, noting that many families struggle to pay basic secondary school fees. “People are struggling to pay ₦100,000 for school fees, yet a government official allegedly spends five million dollars on secondary education alone,” he said.
Dangote warned that he would pursue legal action if the allegation was denied. “If he denies it, I will publish what was paid to those schools and sue the schools to disclose the full amount paid,” he said.
“He should tell Nigerians which institutions his children attended and how much was paid. Anyone found guilty must be prosecuted,” he added. As of the time of filing this report, Farouk Ahmed has not responded to the allegations.
