Nigeria’s simmering energy-sector controversy took a dramatic new turn on Monday as Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, renewed his public feud with the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mallam Farouk Ahmed, raising pointed questions about wealth, lifestyle and accountability.
In a strongly worded intervention, Dangote alleged that the regulator’s boss had sent four of his children to Switzerland for secondary education, claiming the cost ran into about $5 million, excluding university studies. According to Dangote, such expenditure raises red flags when weighed against what he described as Ahmed’s official earnings.
> “Mallam Farouk has four of his children whom he educated in Switzerland at a cost of $5 million for their secondary school education alone, not university,” Dangote said.
“When you look at his income, his income does not match paying this kind of fees. And even if it’s me paying $5 million for six years for my four children, the taxman has to look at my taxes and how much I pay.”
The industrialist went further, drawing a sharp contrast between elite overseas education and the harsh realities back home, particularly in the North-West.
> “From Sokoto, where he comes from, people are struggling to pay ₦100,000 for school fees. A lot of children are at home, not going to school, because of ₦100,000,” Dangote added.
On the strength of these claims, Dangote called for an investigation, arguing that transparency and public trust demand scrutiny of public officials whose lifestyles appear, in his view, inconsistent with their declared income.
The fresh salvo follows weeks of tension between the Dangote Refinery and the petroleum regulator over fuel production figures, data transparency and regulatory oversight—disputes that have already exposed deep fault lines in Nigeria’s oil and gas governance.
As of the time of filing this report, Mallam Farouk Ahmed has not publicly responded to the allegations. Observers note that the claims remain allegations, and any investigation would be the responsibility of the appropriate authorities.
Still, the renewed clash has amplified calls for stronger accountability in Nigeria’s strategic energy institutions, with many watching closely to see whether the controversy will prompt official action—or deepen an already high-stakes standoff between private capital and public regulation.
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