The simmering policy conflict between Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, and Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has exploded into a full-blown crisis, with Dangote publicly accusing the regulator of economic sabotage and corruption.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday, the billionaire industrialist called for an immediate investigation and prosecution of Ahmed, alleging that the regulator’s actions are deliberately designed to frustrate local refining and protect the interests of fuel importers.
The heart of the renewed feud centres on the NMDPRA’s continued issuance of import licenses for petroleum products despite the operational capacity of the Dangote Refinery.
Dangote accused the NMDPRA leadership of colluding with international traders and oil importers. He specifically cited the “reckless issuance” of import licenses covering approximately 7.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for the first quarter of 2026.
Dangote argued that this volume is being authorized despite the Dangote Refinery’s capacity to meet Nigeria’s full domestic demand, stating that the deliberate encouragement of imports is “economic sabotage.”
The industrialist warned that this import policy environment is pushing modular refineries to the brink of extinction and undermining over $20 billion of investment meant to ensure Nigeria’s energy security.
In an extraordinary escalation, Dangote directly challenged Farouk Ahmed’s personal integrity and source of wealth.
Dangote alleged that Ahmed is living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that the NMDPRA CEO paid as much as $5 million in tuition fees for four of his children’s secondary education over six years in Switzerland.
Dangote challenged Ahmed to deny the allegation and called for an investigation by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), threatening to provide documentary evidence and take legal action to compel the Swiss schools to disclose the payments if the regulator denies the claim.
The industrialist stressed the need for a clear separation between regulatory oversight and commercial interests, stating, “The downstream sector must not be destroyed by personal interests. A trader should never be a regulator.”
This public confrontation follows an existing dispute, which flared up earlier. The NMDPRA previously claimed that the diesel produced by the Dangote Refinery was of “inferior quality” due to high sulphur content (650 to 1,200 ppm). Dangote swiftly debunked this, demonstrating in a controlled test that his refinery’s diesel had a much lower sulphur content (around 87.6 ppm) compared to some imported products (up to 2,000 ppm).
Farouk Ahmed has consistently argued that halting imports to rely solely on the Dangote Refinery would create an “unfair dominance” or monopoly and pose a risk to the nation’s energy security.
The feud comes as the Dangote Refinery has announced a further reduction in its ex-depot price for petrol to ₦699 per litre, a move Dangote reiterated is primarily for the benefit of Nigerians, despite what he claims are ongoing efforts to frustrate the refinery’s success.
