Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited and Africa’s richest man, has intensified allegations of graft and economic sabotage against Farouk Ahmed, the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), by submitting a formal petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). This escalation follows months of public dispute and regulatory scrutiny, putting Nigeria’s petroleum sector in the spotlight for potential misconduct.

During a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote accused Ahmed of deliberately undermining domestic refining in Nigeria by colluding with international traders and oil importers. The allegations assert that the NMDPRA CEO issued excessive import licenses to frustrate local refining efforts, thereby perpetuating Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products. Dangote framed these actions as intentional economic sabotage detrimental to national industrial growth.

Expanding his claims, Dangote alleged that Ahmed spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, making upfront payments for six-year periods without a clear source of income. Dangote provided the children’s names, schools, and amounts for verification by the ICPC, asserting that Ahmed’s entire public service career could not justify such expenditure. The petition accuses Ahmed of embezzlement, office abuse, and misappropriation of public funds, calling for his arrest, investigation, and prosecution under Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which carries a potential five-year prison sentence. Dangote pledged to provide evidence supporting his claims.

In response, Farouk Ahmed issued a disclaimer, denying authorship of a statement circulating in his name regarding the allegations. While acknowledging the “wild and spurious” accusations, Ahmed emphasized that, as a regulator of a sensitive sector, he would not publicly engage in a media dispute. The disclaimer underscores the intensifying tension between private sector actors and regulatory authorities in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

The controversy has triggered significant public attention, with civil society groups and industry stakeholders calling for transparency and accountability. The outcome of the ICPC investigation could have far-reaching implications for regulatory governance, investor confidence, and Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its domestic refining capacity.