Tinubu meets NMDPRA chief amid Dangote’s allegations of sabotage, corruption

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday met with Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as allegations by industrialist Aliko Dangote against the petroleum regulator continue to escalate.

The meeting comes amid a growing public dispute between Mr Ahmed and Mr Dangote, Africa’s richest man and chairman of Dangote Cement and Dangote Industries Limited, over downstream petroleum regulation and the future of local refining in Nigeria.

On Sunday, Mr Dangote accused the leadership of the NMDPRA, headed by Mr Ahmed, of economic sabotage, alleging that regulatory decisions were deliberately undermining domestic refining capacity. Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, he said the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating local refiners and perpetuating Nigeria’s dependence on imports.

He further alleged that the regulator was colluding with international oil traders and importers to the disadvantage of domestic operators—claims the NMDPRA has yet to publicly address.

The businessman also made personal allegations against the NMDPRA chief, claiming Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means. He alleged that four of Mr Ahmed’s children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs amounting to several millions of dollars, arguing that such spending raised concerns about conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream sector.

On Monday, Mr Dangote intensified the accusations, alleging corruption and misappropriation of public funds by Mr Ahmed. He claimed that about $5 million was spent on secondary education and upkeep for the children over six years, with an additional $2 million allegedly spent on tertiary education, including a reported $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of them.

The controversy deepened on Tuesday when Mr Dangote, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), seeking Mr Ahmed’s arrest, investigation and prosecution. The petition, addressed to ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, alleged that Mr Ahmed spent more than $7 million on his children’s education in Switzerland without evidence of lawful income, and reportedly included details of the schools attended and specific amounts for verification.

Mr Ahmed arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:30 pm and left the President’s office after less than 30 minutes. He declined to speak with journalists and offered no comment on the allegations or the outcome of his meeting with President Tinubu.

As of press time, neither the Presidency nor the NMDPRA had issued an official statement on the allegations, and the purpose and outcome of the meeting were not disclosed.