Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption, abuse of office, and illicit enrichment by Engineer Farouk Ahmed, Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In the petition dated December 16, 2025, and addressed to ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Dangote demanded the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Ahmed. The petition alleges that the NMDPRA chief spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying school fees upfront for six years—an expenditure that Dangote says cannot be justified by a public servant’s earnings.
Dangote reportedly provided the names of the children, the schools they attended, and the amounts paid, urging the ICPC to verify the claims as evidence of “clear corrupt enrichment.”
The petition also accuses Ahmed of diverting public funds for personal use, turning the regulatory authority into an instrument for embezzlement and private gain, and disregarding the welfare of Nigerians. Dangote asserted that such actions constitute abuse of office and breaches of the Code of Conduct for public officers, calling on the ICPC to act under Section 19 of its Act, which prescribes a five-year jail term without an option of a fine for such offences.
Dangote emphasized his willingness to appear personally before investigators to provide supporting documents and other evidence.
The allegations were initially made public during a media interaction at the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where Dangote questioned Ahmed’s source of wealth and accused the regulator of obstructing local refining through the continued issuance of fuel import licences. He highlighted the contrast between Ahmed’s spending abroad and the financial struggles of parents in his home state of Sokoto, where many cannot afford even N10,000 school fees for their children.
In response to the escalating dispute, the House of Representatives has summoned both Dangote and the NMDPRA leadership to appear before its Joint Committees on Petroleum Resources (Midstream and Downstream). Lawmakers have also directed both parties to refrain from further public comments, warning that the growing tension could destabilize the downstream petroleum sector.
Committee member Ikenga Ugochinyere stated: “We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension.”
