Aliko Dangote and CEO of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed
House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) has intervened to cool tensions in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector following a public spat between the Dangote Group and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The committee, chaired by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Henry Okogie, called an emergency meeting in response to what they described as “growing tension” that could undermine the fragile stability recently achieved in the sector.
Addressing journalists after the session, Ugochinyere explained that the committee decided to summon both parties to present their grievances directly.
“The key issue that necessitated this emergency meeting was the growing tension that has returned to the downstream sector as a result of concerns and allegations raised by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA,” he said.
He added, “This is coming at a time when the committee is jealously guarding the stability that has been achieved in the sector.”
The lawmakers emphasized that a clear understanding of the issues is critical for the National Assembly to broker lasting solutions. “We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension. That is why the committee resolved to write to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA chief to meet with us and give insights into what is driving these allegations and counter-allegations,” Ugochinyere said.
In a bid to prevent further escalation, the committee appealed to both parties to halt public exchanges and media comments while the investigation is ongoing. “We resolved to plead with the contending parties to cease fire, especially media comments, so that the situation does not escalate further,” the lawmaker noted.
Ugochinyere confirmed that petitions received by the committee touch on critical industry matters, including the issuance of import licences and concerns over whether local refineries can meet Nigeria’s daily petroleum needs. “These are serious issues. Some relate to import licences, others to whether local refineries can produce enough to satisfy national demand which the investigation undertaken by the committee will resolve,” he said.
He assured that the committee would thoroughly examine all outstanding matters once key stakeholders appear. “By the time Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the NMDPRA and other stakeholders meet with the committee, we will get the real gist of what is happening and come up with resolutions that provide sustainable solutions for the sector,” Ugochinyere said.
The intervention follows heightened scrutiny of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry, with expectations high around local refining capacity, regulatory clarity, and stable fuel supply.
The dispute escalated when Dangote accused NMDPRA CEO Farouk Ahmed of corruption, alleging he spent $5 million on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland — an amount Dangote argued was inconsistent with a public servant’s income and threatened public trust in regulatory institutions. Dangote raised the allegations during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lekki, Lagos.
Dangote’s claim has yet to receive a formal response from the NMDPRA, but he questioned why a public official could afford such expenditures if public funds were properly managed.
