Dangote Accuses Petroleum Regulator of Spending $5m on Children’s Swiss Schooling Amid Fuel Price War
The dispute over petrol pricing escalated after Dangote Group president Aliko Dangote accused the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, of allegedly spending about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland.
Dangote made the claim during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, calling for a full investigation and public explanation. He said the alleged spending was inconsistent with Ahmed’s earnings as a public servant and should be examined by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
According to Dangote, the six-year education reportedly cost $5 million, an amount he described as impossible to justify based on public sector income. He argued that even private citizens would face tax scrutiny for such expenses.
He contrasted the allegation with the financial reality facing many Nigerians, noting that families struggle to pay school fees as low as ₦100,000 while many children remain out of school. Dangote added that his own children attended secondary school in Nigeria.
Dangote said he was not demanding Ahmed’s removal but insisted on transparency and accountability. He warned that if the allegation is denied, he would publish tuition figures and pursue legal action to compel disclosure from the schools involved.
Similar accusations were previously rejected by the NMDPRA in July, which described them as a coordinated smear campaign against its leadership. Asked for comment on the renewed allegation, NMDPRA spokesperson George Ene-Ita said the agency had no response at this time.
Beyond the personal accusation, Dangote criticised what he described as regulatory failures in the downstream petroleum sector. He accused regulators of enabling excessive fuel imports at the expense of local refining and warned against regulators acting as traders.
He said that despite numerous refinery licences being issued, meaningful development has stalled due to a hostile operating environment. The public confrontation highlights growing tensions between regulators, refiners and fuel importers, with the petrol price battle showing no signs of easing.
