The Founder and President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has levelled serious corruption allegations against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, claiming that he spent about $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland.
Dangote made the accusation on Sunday while addressing journalists at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lekki, Lagos. He described the alleged spending as incompatible with the income of a public official and warned that such actions erode confidence in regulatory institutions.
According to Dangote, the amount allegedly covered six years of secondary education for four children, a figure he argued could not be reasonably justified by earnings from public service alone.
“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.
“My children went to secondary school in Nigeria. They did not go outside Nigeria to attend secondary school,” Dangote said.
He stressed that Nigerians who pay taxes deserve transparency and accountability, questioning how a government official could afford such expenses if public resources were being properly managed.
“This is a system where some of us are taxpayers. When people are complaining, we also complain, because when I pay tax, I want to see my money put to use, not stolen.
“I don’t know why the authority chief executive, Mallam Farouk, has four children educated in Switzerland at the cost of five million dollars for their secondary school education alone, not university,” he alleged.
Dangote said the claim raised fundamental questions about income declaration, possible conflicts of interest and the credibility of regulation within the downstream petroleum sector.
“The man must come and explain to Nigerians how he paid five million dollars for six years of his four children’s education.
“I don’t think any of you here has paid that kind of fees for your own children. We cannot allow this to continue, because we must make sure people do not come and destroy a country just because they want to make a living that is not genuine or legal,” he said.
He also referred to reports suggesting overseas university education for one of the children.
“I know that one of them just finished Harvard. I want to see what kind of system we are operating where people are busy destroying a country and taking money from government, because their income does not match this kind of spending,” he said.
“Even if it were me paying five million dollars for six years for four children, the taxman would have to look at my taxes and ask how much I paid.”
Dangote argued that the matter should be subjected to a formal investigation rather than an immediate dismissal, in order to establish the facts.
“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 does not need to be sacked. Let him come and clear that he has not compromised his positions in government at the cost of Nigerians,” he said.
He contrasted the alleged expenditure with the realities faced by many Nigerians, noting that families struggle to meet far smaller school fees.
“From where he comes from, people are struggling to pay ₦100,000 for secondary school fees. Many children are at home because their parents cannot afford that amount.
“I cannot understand why someone who has worked all his life in government would have four children whose secondary school fees alone cost five million dollars,” he said.
Dangote also warned that he would pursue legal action to compel transparency if the allegation was denied.
“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.
“He should tell Nigerians which universities they attended and how much was paid there. People who have done something wrong must be prosecuted,” he said.
As of the time this report was filed, Farouk Ahmed had not issued any response to the allegations.
What you should know
Aliko Dangote has publicly accused the head of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator of spending $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland, raising concerns about corruption, income transparency and regulatory integrity.
Dangote insists that the alleged expenditure cannot be justified by public service earnings and has called for an official investigation rather than an immediate dismissal. He argues that accountability is essential, especially as ordinary Nigerians struggle with basic education costs.
The allegation, if proven, could intensify scrutiny of public officials’ lifestyles and reignite debates about corruption, governance and trust in Nigeria’s regulatory institutions.
