Dangote Accuses Farouk Ahmed of Corruption, Economic Sabotage Over Kids’ Tuition

He didn’t whisper it. He roared it from the heart of his $20 billion empire.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and guardian of Nigeria’s largest refinery, stood before cameras on Sunday and dropped a grenade that shook Abuja’s corridors.

Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), allegedly splashed $5 million—just on secondary school fees—on educating his four children at elite Swiss boarding schools.

Not a university. Just six years of high school. Dangote‘s voice was calm thunder: “Mallam Farouk has four children that he educated in Switzerland at the cost of five million dollars for their secondary school education alone, not university.”

He paused, eyes scanning the room. “Even my own children—they didn’t go to those schools. My children went to Nigerian secondary schools.” The billionaire didn’t stop at shock value.

He demanded blood: a full probe by the Code of Conduct Bureau or Tribunal. “His income does not match paying this kind of fees,” Dangote hammered. “If he denies it, I will not only publish what was 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.”

And the sting for ordinary Nigerians? “From Sokoto, where he comes from, people are struggling to pay ₦100,000 for school fees. A lot of children are at home, not going to school, because of ₦100,000. The man must come out and explain to Nigerians how he paid five million dollars.”

This isn’t new gossip—civil society groups floated similar claims in July, pegging it at over $5.5 million. NMDPRA dismissed them then as a “smear campaign.” But Dangote is reviving it now? That’s war.

The battlefield: Nigeria’s downstream oil sector, where Dangote accuses Ahmed and NMDPRA of “economic sabotage.” Continued issuance of import licences—47 already, covering 7.5 billion litres for Q1 2026 alone—despite local refineries ramping up.

“We have the crude, we have the refineries,” Dangote fumed. “Nigeria should be the refining hub of sub-Saharan Africa. But some corrupt officials are destroying the sector.”

He painted a picture of entrenched cartels profiting from imports, undercutting local production with substandard fuel. “A trader should never be a regulator,” he warned.

Modular refineries? Dying. Investor confidence? Crumbling. Farouk Ahmed? Silent so far. No statement from NMDPRA as the storm rages on social media, where #DangoteVsFarouk trends with memes of Swiss chalets and empty Nigerian classrooms.

Some hail Dangote as a whistleblower. Others cry monopoly push—his refinery slashing prices to N699/litre gantry, promising pumps at N740 max from Tuesday.

The House of Reps Downstream Committee has summoned both men, urging a ceasefire on public attacks till they appear.

One allegation. One regulator. One refinery that could rewrite Nigeria’s fuel story—or expose its deepest rot.

When the richest man calls for a probe, does the system listen—or circle the wagons?