Dangote Accuses NMDPRA CEO Farouk Ahmed of Corruption, Alleges $5m Swiss School Fees for Children

The President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has publicly accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of corruption, alleging that the public servant spent $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland.

Dangote made the serious 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 a public servant’s income and a threat to public trust in regulatory institutions.

Inconsistent Spending Questioned
Dangote claimed that the alleged $5 million payment covered six years of secondary education for four of Ahmed’s children, an amount he argued could not reasonably be explained by earnings from public service.
“I’ve had people actually complaining about a regulator who put his children in secondary school, and that secondary school education, which is six years, four of them cost Nigeria five million dollars,” Dangote said.

The billionaire contrasted the lavish spending with his own family’s choices, adding: “My children went to secondary school in Nigeria. They did not go outside Nigeria to attend secondary school”.

He stressed that the alleged expenditure raises serious concerns about income declaration, conflicts of interest, and regulatory integrity in the downstream petroleum sector.
Demand for Investigation, Not Immediate Sack
Dangote demanded that Ahmed must provide an explanation to Nigerians on the source of the funds.

Crucially, Dangote suggested that Ahmed should not be immediately dismissed from office but must first be investigated by relevant authorities to clear his name.

“The Code of Conduct Bureau, or any other body deemed appropriate by the government, should investigate the matter. Let them see whether his income matches the five million dollars paid as school fees for six years for four children. This is without tickets,” he said.
Threat to Sue Swiss School

Dangote further warned that if the allegation was denied, he would take legal steps to compel disclosure from the educational institution.
“If he denies it, I will not only publish what he paid as tuition in those secondary schools, but

I will also sue the schools to disclose how much he paid for the entire period,” the Dangote Group CEO threatened.
Farouk Ahmed has yet to respond to the allegation as of the time of filing this report.