Dangote Alleges NMDPRA Chief Spent $5m on Children’s Education Abroad, Calls for Investigation
Dangote Alleges NMDPRA Chief Spent $5m on Children’s Education Abroad, Calls for Investigation
Dangote Alleges NMDPRA Chief Spent $5m on Children’s Education Abroad, Calls for Investigation
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive 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.
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Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where he called for a full investigation and public explanation to address the claims.
According to the billionaire businessman, the alleged expenditure raises serious questions about accountability and transparency in public service. He said Ahmed should appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to explain how such funds were raised, describing the issue as one that could undermine public trust and investor confidence if left unaddressed.
“I’ve actually had people making complaints about a regulator who has put his children in secondary school abroad,” Dangote said. “That secondary school education, which is six years, for four children allegedly cost about $5 million. It is difficult to imagine how someone in public service could afford that.”
Dangote noted that such spending appeared inconsistent with earnings from government service and would ordinarily attract scrutiny from tax authorities. He also highlighted the contrast between the alleged expenditure and the financial struggles faced by many Nigerian families.
“From Sokoto, where he comes from, people are struggling to pay ₦100,000 in school fees. Many children are out of school because of that amount, yet someone who has worked his entire life in government is said to have paid $5 million for his children’s education,” he said.
The business mogul added that his own children attended secondary school in Nigeria, stressing that his comments were not a call for Ahmed’s removal but for due process and accountability.
“I am not calling for his removal. I am calling for a proper investigation. He should be required to account for his actions and demonstrate that he has not compromised his position to the detriment of Nigerians,” Dangote stated, describing the alleged situation as “economic sabotage.”
He said appropriate institutions such as the Code of Conduct Bureau could investigate the matter, adding that if the allegations are denied, he is prepared to publish details of the alleged tuition payments and pursue legal steps to compel disclosure from the schools involved.
Dangote also used the occasion to criticise what he described as deep-rooted interests in the downstream petroleum sector, alleging that some actors continue to benefit from fuel imports at the expense of national development.
As of the time of filing this report, Farouk Ahmed and the NMDPRA had not publicly responded to the allegations.
Dangote Alleges NMDPRA Chief Spent $5m on Children’s Education Abroad, Calls for Investigation
