AFRICA’S richest man and President of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote, has accused Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, of corruption and economic sabotage, noting that his activities are undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.

This is barely 17 months after Mr Ahmed had accused Mr Dangote of producing substandard petrol. He has also alleged that Dangote Petroleum Refinery did not have an operating license and was just 45 percent completed.

Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday, Mr Dangote said the NMDPRA chief was colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.

Mr Dangote alleged that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children were attending secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several million dollars.

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Africa’s richest man noted that he was not calling for Mr Ahmed’s removal, but for a proper investigation to be done by relevant agencies of the government. “He should be required to account for his actions and demonstrate that he has not compromised his position to the detriment of Nigerians. What is happening amounts to economic sabotage,” Dangote said.

He further alleged that Mr Ahmed paid as much as $5 million in tuition fees for his children in secondary schools in Switzerland, stressing that this was beyond the legitimate earnings of a public servant.

The businessman claimed that such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.

“The Code of Conduct Bureau, or any other body deemed appropriate by the government, can investigate the matter. If he denies it, I will not only publish what he paid as tuition in those secondary schools, but I will also take legal steps to compel the schools to disclose the payments made by Farouk.

“I sent my own children to secondary schools here in Nigeria. How many Nigerians can afford to pay $5 million for secondary school tuition, not university education? In his home state of Sokoto, many parents are struggling to pay as little as N10,000 in school fees,” Dangote alleged.

Regulatory gaps

Mr Dangote identified several regulatory gaps in the downstream petroleul sector, stressing that it must not be destroyed by personal interests. “A trader should never be a regulator. Forty-seven licences have been issued, yet no new refineries are being built because the environment is not conducive,” he said.

He noted that Nigerians would benefit from local refining, even as fuel importers incurred losses. He stressed that he would not relent in ensuring that Nigerians enjoyed the benefits of domestic refining, disclosing that the company was working around the clock to ensure that recent reductions in the gantry price were fully reflected at the retail level.

READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery has no operating license, company only 45% completed – Nigerian Regulator

“We want every living Nigerian to have the opportunity to benefit, no matter how small their holding is. If the market takes 55 percent and I retain 45 percent, I am satisfied,” he said.

Mr Dangote also accused the NMDPRA of misrepresenting the refinery’s capacity by publishing offtake figures rather than actual production levels.

“We have the capacity to meet local demand, and we have sufficient refined products in stock. But to keep prices high, imports are deliberately encouraged,” he said.

How it started

On July 19, 2024, Mr Ahmed had claimed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery did not have an operating license and was just 45 percent completed.

Mr Ahmed had said this in an interview with State House correspondents, questioning the quality of Dangote Refinery’s products. He said that Dangote Refinery’s claim that there were continued efforts by international oil companies (IOCs) to stifle its operations by way of low crude supply was false.

“Of course, there are lots of concerns about the supply of petroleum products nationwide and the claim by some media houses that we were trying to scuttle Dangote Refinery is not true,” he said.

He had noted that “Dangote Refinery is still in the pre-commissioning stage. It has not been licensed. We have not licensed them yet. I think they are about 45 percent completed.”

He had said the country would not just rely on one refinery to feed it with petrol. “Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop all importation of petroleum products, especially automotive gas oil (AGO) or jet kero and direct all marketers to the refinery,” he further said.

He stressed that Dangote Refinery’s products were inferior to others in the market. “In terms of quality, their quality is much, much inferior to the imported commodities,” he had noted.

Mr Dangote had, however, countered these claims.