Godsent Ogbebor – Abuja Correspondent
Dangote Allegations Shake Oil Agencies
The resignation of the chief executives of Nigeria’s upstream and downstream petroleum regulators has followed days of public accusations by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote over the regulation of fuel imports and local refining.
The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, and his counterpart at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, both left office on Wednesday, ending a period marked by open disagreement between Dangote and the downstream regulator.
The dispute began when Dangote accused the NMDPRA of frustrating local refining through the continued issuance of petroleum import licences, which he said undermined investments such as the Dangote Refinery. He further alleged that regulatory actions were favouring foreign traders at the expense of domestic operators.
The controversy deepened after Dangote, through his lawyer, petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, calling for an investigation of the NMDPRA leadership. He also raised personal allegations against Ahmed, claims the regulator denied, insisting his actions in office were lawful and that his finances were transparent.
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Ahmed publicly rejected the accusations, saying his children’s education abroad was funded through scholarships, family support and long-term savings, and not from proceeds of corruption. He maintained that he had consistently declared his assets in line with the law.
Hours before his resignation, Ahmed was sighted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, though details of his visit were not disclosed.
Following the exits, President Bola Tinubu forwarded the names of new nominees to the Senate for confirmation to lead both regulatory agencies, a move seen as an attempt to stabilise the sector after weeks of tension.
The development has been widely viewed as closing a chapter in the high-profile clash between Africa’s richest man and the downstream regulator, a dispute that reignited debate over fuel imports, local refining and Nigeria’s control of its petroleum value chain.
