By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
A serious allegation has been made against Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
He is accused of spending over $5 million on the foreign secondary and tertiary education of his four children in Switzerland.
According to the allegation, the estimated cost for each child’s secondary education—covering annual tuition, air tickets, and upkeep—is $200,000. Over six years, this amounts to $1,200,000 per child.
For all four children, the total secondary education expense is estimated at $4,800,000.
Furthermore, an additional $210,000 was reportedly spent in 2025 for the MBA education of one of his children, Faisal. This brings the approximate total for tuition and upkeep across all children to around $5,000,000.
The statement, signed by Alliko Dangote, emphasizes that “facts don’t lie” and raises critical questions about the source of these funds.
It contrasts the enormous expenditure with the plight of many parents in Engr. Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto, who are said to struggle to afford school fees as low as ₦10,000 for their own children and wards.
The core demand of the allegation is transparency: “Nigerians deserve to know the source(s) of these sums of money paid by a public officer.”