Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has dramatically intensified his confrontation with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), demanding the immediate investigation and prosecution of its CEO, Farouk Ahmed, over allegations of corruption, economic sabotage, and deliberate obstruction of Nigeria’s domestic refining ambitions.

Speaking at a fiery press conference inside the sprawling Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, the billionaire accused Ahmed of living far beyond legitimate means, claiming that four of the regulator’s children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at an annual cost of $5 million. Dangote challenged the regulator to deny the allegation, pledging to publish receipts and even pursue legal action to compel the schools to disclose payments. “How many Nigerians can afford $5 million for secondary school fees—not university?” he asked pointedly, framing the claim as evidence of systemic graft.

Dangote’s broader charge was that the NMDPRA is actively sabotaging Nigeria’s quest for energy independence. Despite his refinery’s capacity to meet local demand, he alleged that the regulator has issued import licences for 7.5 billion litres of petrol for Q1 2026 alone, a move he described as unethical and a disservice to Nigerians. He accused the authority of colluding with international traders to frustrate local production, keep pump prices artificially high, and protect entrenched import interests. “A trader should never be a regulator,” he declared, noting that 47 licences have been issued without a single new refinery emerging.

The stakes, Dangote warned, are existential for Nigeria’s smaller modular refineries, which he said are “on the brink of extinction” under current policies. He framed the battle as one between vested interests profiting from imports and a domestic refining industry struggling to survive.

For consumers, however, Dangote offered immediate relief. He announced a fresh round of price cuts, with gantry loading reduced to N699 per litre effective immediately and MRS stations in Lagos instructed to sell at no more than N740 per litre from Tuesday, December 16. He also lowered the minimum purchase threshold from 2 million litres to 500,000 litres, opening access to independent marketers such as IPMAN. He promised even lower prices before Christmas, stressing that his refinery’s products are “straight-run” fuels of higher quality compared to imported blended variants. “Nigerians have a choice: Better quality at affordable prices or blended at higher rates. Importers can lose—so long as Nigerians benefit,” he said.

Dangote also revealed plans to list the refinery on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), allowing citizens to buy shares in naira and receive dividends in dollars. He disclosed that the refinery will import between 100 and 200 million barrels of U.S. crude annually due to insufficient local supply, though at premiums of up to $4 per barrel from international oil company trading arms.

The NMDPRA declined to respond, with spokesman George Ene-Ita saying only: “No comment.”

The escalating feud pits Africa’s largest refinery against Nigeria’s downstream regulator, with implications that go far beyond corporate rivalry. At stake are Nigeria’s energy independence, consumer fuel prices, and the credibility of regulatory institutions accused of shielding vested interests at the expense of national self-sufficiency.