The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the dispute between Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, and Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution after adopting a motion of urgent public importance.
The motion was moved during Tuesday’s plenary by Midala Balami, a lawmaker representing Askira Uba/Hawul federal constituency of Borno State.
In a newspaper advertisement on Tuesday, Dangote alleged that Ahmed spent about $5 million on the secondary education of his four children in Switzerland over six years.
He said the annual cost of tuition, airfare and upkeep per child was $200,000, amounting to $800,000 per year for the four children.
The businessman further claimed that the total living expenses and air tickets for the children over six years amounted to $1.2 million, bringing the total cost to $4.8 million.
The dispute between Dangote and Ahmed peaked in July 2024, when the NMDPRA CEO said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, produce inferior products compared with imported fuel.
Dangote denied the allegation by testing diesel from his refinery during an oversight visit by federal lawmakers to the plant.
Moving the motion, Balami said the unresolved tensions between Dangote and Ahmed could threaten petrol supply and pricing stability.
He added that Dangote is critical to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol, conserving foreign exchange, stabilising domestic supply and moderating fuel prices.
The motion was unanimously adopted after Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, subjected it to a voice vote.
The House mandated the committees on petroleum resources (midstream and downstream) to investigate the dispute, engage relevant stakeholders and propose solutions within four weeks.
On Monday, Ikenga Ugochinyere, chairman of the committee on downstream, said the panel has the capacity to wade into the matter and find solutions “once and for all”.
“We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension,” he said.
Ugochinyere added that the House resolved to plead with the contending parties to cease fire, especially in media comments, to prevent further escalation.
