A Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has called on Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, spent about $5 million on his children’s secondary school education in Switzerland.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Adeyanju made the call amid an ongoing dispute between Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the leadership of the NMDPRA, which has sparked public debate over regulation, pricing, and competition in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
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In his statement, he added that the allegation, if proven true, raises serious questions about the integrity of the petroleum regulatory system, noting that such expenditure would be difficult to justify on earnings from public service alone.
He, however, cautioned Nigerians against interpreting the dispute as evidence that Dangote is acting out of public interest, arguing that the disagreement is rooted in market control rather than regulatory reform.
“This controversy is not about national interest but about monopoly,” Adeyanju said. “Dangote’s real grievance is not regulation itself, but regulation that prevents him from dominating the oil sector he has only recently entered.”
Adeyanju warned the Federal Government against what he described as “economic blackmail,” urging it to resist public pressure that could undermine regulatory institutions. He said the government must stand firmly behind its regulators, provided they operate within the law.
Referencing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), Adeyanju stressed that Nigeria’s petroleum framework was designed to promote competition through a willing buyer–willing seller regime, not to entrench private-sector dominance.
He also criticised pricing by the Dangote Refinery, questioning why petroleum products refined locally in Ibeju-Lekki are reportedly more expensive than imported fuel from distant countries such as Argentina or Brazil.
“If Dangote genuinely wants Nigerians to patronise locally refined products and reduce fuel importation, then prices must come down,” he said.
Adeyanju further noted allegations though disputed that some users have described the refinery’s products as substandard, adding that no investor should transfer the risks of business decisions to consumers through higher prices or limited choices.
“No one compelled Dangote to build a refinery of this scale. Investment carries risks, and Nigerians should not be forced to pay more in the name of patriotism,” he added.
He concluded by calling on the federal government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire controversy, covering not only allegations against the regulator but also claims that bribes may have been offered and rejected in the course of the dispute.
“The disagreement between these two men is not new,” Adeyanju said. “A holistic probe is now necessary in the interest of transparency and public trust.”
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