KEY POINTS
- Dangote fuel regulators dispute centers on fuel imports.
- Allegations raise transparency and tax accountability questions.
- Dangote fuel regulators clash over crude supply rules.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has intensified his criticism of Nigeria’s fuel regulators, accusing them of enabling cheap fuel imports that undercut domestic refining and weaken the country’s industrial ambitions.
Speaking at his 650,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Lagos, Dangote said the continued preference for imported fuel was costing Nigeria jobs, draining foreign exchange and discouraging long-term investment. He argued that Nigeria was exporting opportunity while grappling with unemployment and economic strain.
“You don’t use imports to checkmate domestic potential,” Dangote said, warning that unchecked inflows of refined fuel threaten energy security and make it harder for investors to commit capital to local projects.
Dangote fuel regulators dispute widens
The Dangote fuel regulators dispute moved beyond policy into allegations of personal conduct. Dangote called for an investigation into claims that the head of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, paid about $5 million in tuition fees for the secondary education of his four children in Switzerland.
Dangote said the alleged spending, if accurate, required public explanation and scrutiny by institutions such as the Code of Conduct Bureau. He stressed that he was not calling for Ahmed’s removal, but for transparency to protect confidence in the regulatory system.
According to Dangote, the figures raised tax and income-matching questions that would typically attract attention from authorities. He contrasted the allegations with the reality of many Nigerian families struggling to keep children in school, saying the disparity was troubling for public trust.
Dangote fuel regulators clash over imports
Returning to sector-wide issues, Dangote said vested interests continue to profit from fuel imports despite repeated pledges by African governments to support local refining. He warned that blurred lines between regulation and commerce weaken oversight and deter investment.
“There must be a clear line between regulation and commerce,” he said, noting that dozens of licenses issued in the sector have failed to translate into meaningful new refinery projects.
The disagreement has also played out over capacity and supply. Ahmed has argued that the Dangote refinery cannot meet Nigeria’s fuel demand and accused it of seeking market dominance. Dangote disputes that view, saying regulators rely on offtake figures rather than actual production capacity.
He added that the refinery still struggles to secure sufficient domestic crude, accusing regulators of failing to enforce rules that prioritize local refiners over exports. As a result, the facility imports about 100 million barrels of crude annually, a figure he said could increase as capacity expands.
Despite the tensions, Dangote said he remains committed to the project, describing it as central to Nigeria’s economic future. He reiterated plans to expand the refinery, list it locally and pay dividends in dollars, saying the aim is to allow Nigerians to share directly in industrial growth.
