Nigeria TV Info 

Petrol Price War Turns Dirty as Dangote Attacks NMDPRA Boss

Lagos, Nigeria — The escalating petrol price war in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has taken a sharp political turn as Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of the Dangote Group, publicly accused Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), of corruption and market sabotage.

Dangote, whose Dangote Petroleum Refinery is the nation’s largest local source of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), alleged that Ahmed funded his four children’s secondary education in Switzerland with ​about $5 million, demanding a full investigation and public explanation. He also urged that Ahmed appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to clarify how a public official could access such funds given his official earnings.

The explosive claim adds fuel to an already volatile price war between Dangote’s refinery, independent marketers, importers, and regulators. While Dangote has cut petrol prices at various points to compete and undercut importers, domestic marketers and others have at times offered petrol below even Dangote’s rates — intensifying competitive pressures.

Relations between Dangote and the NMDPRA have been tense, with Dangote pushing for a government ban on petrol importation to protect local refining, and various industry stakeholders warning against anti‑competitive practices and regulatory bias.

The petroleum regulator has previously defended its licensing decisions, which include allowing large‑scale petrol imports amid continued reliance on foreign fuel due to idle state‑owned refineries.

As the dispute widens, analysts say transparency and robust enforcement of competition laws will be critical to stabilising fuel markets, protecting consumers, and ensuring fairness for all players in the downstream sector.