Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has accused Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), of spending millions of dollars on the overseas education of his children.
In a paid newspaper advertisement published on Tuesday, Dangote alleged that Ahmed expended approximately $5 million on the secondary school education of four of his children in Switzerland over a six-year period. The billionaire industrialist had earlier made the claim on Monday, describing the alleged expenditure as an act of “economic sabotage and corruption.”
According to Dangote, the children—identified as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk—attended some of Europe’s most expensive private institutions. He listed the schools as Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School.
Dangote claimed that the costs covered tuition fees, accommodation, air travel, and general upkeep across the six years of study. He estimated that tuition, airfare, and upkeep for each child amounted to about $200,000 annually, bringing the combined yearly cost for all four children to $800,000.
He further stated that over the six-year period, living expenses and travel costs per child totaled $1.2 million, translating to $4.8 million for all four children. Based on these figures, Dangote concluded that the overall cost of secondary education alone was approximately $5 million.
Beyond secondary education, Dangote also raised concerns about the alleged cost of the children’s tertiary education. He claimed that tuition, living expenses, airfare, and other related costs averaged $125,000 per year over a four-year university program, amounting to $500,000 per child and $2 million for all four.
Providing a specific example, Dangote alleged that Faisal Farouk recently completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Harvard University in 2025, with tuition reportedly costing $150,000, alongside $60,000 for upkeep, travel, and other incidental expenses—bringing the total expenditure for that year to $210,000.
Dangote argued that Nigerians deserve transparency regarding the source of such funds, particularly when they are allegedly spent by a public official.
He contrasted the figures with the economic realities faced by many citizens, noting that numerous families in Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to afford school fees as low as ₦10,000.
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The allegations have sparked renewed debate over accountability, public service ethics, and the financial conduct of government officials.
