Aliko Dangote has taken his dispute with Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator to the country’s anti-corruption agency, escalating a long-running clash over fuel imports, local refining and regulatory oversight.
The chairman of Dangote Group on Tuesday submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Farouk Ahmed, chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), accusing him of corruption and abuse of office.
The petition, dated December 16 and submitted through Dangote’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), calls for Ahmed’s investigation and prosecution over what Dangote described as spending far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public official.
According to the petition addressed to ICPC chairman Musa Aliyu, Dangote alleged that Ahmed paid more than $7 million in school fees over six years for the education of his four children at different secondary schools in Switzerland, without evidence of lawful income to support such spending.
The petition listed the names of the children, the schools attended and the amounts allegedly paid, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims.
Dangote further alleged that the NMDPRA boss had used his position to divert public funds for personal benefit, accusing the regulator of acting in ways that undermined Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity while favouring fuel imports.
Dangote said Ahmed had spent his adult life in Nigeria’s public sector and that his cumulative earnings could not reasonably account for the sums allegedly spent on overseas education for his children.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment, embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission (ICPC) is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said in the petition.
“Upon a successful prosecution of such a person, under section 19 of the ICPC Act, the person is liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine,” he added.
He urged the commission to “act decisively” in investigating the allegations, saying the matter was already in the public domain and required prompt action “to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected.”
Dangote also said he was prepared to provide evidence to support his claims.
House Steps In
The allegations were first made publicly by Dangote on Sunday during a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, where he questioned the regulator’s conduct and the personal wealth of its chief.
On Tuesday, Dangote published further details of the claims in a paid newspaper advertorial before formally submitting the petition to the ICPC.
“Nigerians deserve to know the source(s) of these sums of money paid by a public officer while many parents in his home state of Sokoto cannot afford to pay N10,000 school fees for their children and wards,” he said.
Dangote has accused the NMDPRA of frustrating domestic refining through the continued issuance of fuel import licences, despite Nigeria’s growing local refining capacity led by his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lagos, Africa’s largest.
The House of Representatives has now stepped into the dispute. On Tuesday, lawmakers summoned both Dangote and Ahmed and asked them to refrain from further public comments.
The joint House committees on petroleum resources (midstream and downstream) said the move was aimed at easing tensions that could destabilise Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
“We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension,” said Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the committee, according to Channels Television. “That is why the committee resolved to write to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA chief to meet with us and give insights into what is driving these allegations and counter-allegations.”
Lawmakers warned that the dispute could disrupt fuel supply during the holiday period and undermine investor confidence. A motion sponsored by Francis Waive mandates the committees to resolve the matter and report back within four weeks.
The clash between Dangote and the regulator dates back to the start of operations at the refinery last year. In July, Ahmed questioned the quality of products from local refineries, including Dangote’s, while accusing the company of seeking to dominate Nigeria’s fuel market, claims the refinery rejected.
Lawmakers previously probed the dispute and at one point called for Ahmed’s suspension. In August 2024, the NMDPRA said the Dangote Refinery was still in a pre-commissioning phase and had not yet received a full operational licence.
The regulator has not publicly responded to the latest allegations.
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