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Farouk Ahmed rejects claims of illicit funding for children’s foreign education
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Merit scholarships, family trusts and personal savings cited as sources
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NMDPRA boss invites ICPC, EFCC and CCB to scrutinise his finances
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, has dismissed allegations suggesting that questionable funds were used to finance his children’s education abroad, describing the claims as inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ahmed explained that the education of his children was supported through a structured mix of academic scholarships, long-standing family education trusts and savings from his career in public service, rather than any unlawful source.
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The clarification followed public claims by Aliko Dangote that the NMDPRA boss spent several million dollars on secondary education in Switzerland, an assertion Ahmed said failed to reflect the true financial picture.
According to him, three of his four children secured partial scholarships that covered a significant portion of their tuition fees, awards he said were earned strictly on academic merit.
Ahmed stated that documentary evidence of the scholarships exists and can be verified by relevant authorities if required.
He added that additional funding came from education trust funds established by his late father, a businessman who, before his death in 2018, made provisions to support the education of his grandchildren.
The NMDPRA chief said the balance of the expenses was paid from personal savings accumulated over more than 30 years in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory system, beginning from his entry into the civil service in the early 1990s.
He maintained that when all funding sources are properly examined, the cost of his children’s education aligns with his income history and professional background.
Ahmed further noted that his annual earnings and allowances are disclosed in the authority’s audited reports, while his assets are regularly declared in line with legal requirements.
“All major financial activities are documented and open to examination,” he said.
He also granted permission for the schools attended by his children to release relevant payment records to authorised investigators, insisting that transparency would clear any doubts.
Addressing suggestions of illicit transfers, Ahmed said foreign educational institutions operate strict financial compliance systems that reject unverified or unlawful payments.
On the wider dispute, he linked the allegations to recent regulatory actions by the NMDPRA under the Petroleum Industry Act, including tighter licensing procedures, fuel quality controls and increased disclosure of supply and import data.
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He stressed that regulatory decisions are guided by law and national interest, not by the preferences of any private business.
Ahmed specifically defended the issuance of fuel import licences, saying such actions are required when local supply is insufficient and should not be misrepresented as sabotage.
The NMDPRA boss called on the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Assembly to independently review his finances and regulatory decisions.
He pledged full cooperation with any lawful investigation, expressing confidence that his record would stand up to scrutiny.
Ahmed reaffirmed his commitment to professional independence, saying allegations and personal attacks would not distract him from carrying out his responsibilities to Nigeria’s energy sector.
