The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned amid a fast-escalating public dispute with billionaire and Dangote Refinery CEO, Aliko Dangote, over allegations of corruption and regulatory sabotage in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Ahmed’s resignation was confirmed on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, by the Presidency, which announced that President Bola Tinubu had forwarded the names of new nominees to the Senate following the exit of the NMDPRA boss and the head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The development came just hours after Ahmed paid a visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday evening, indicating that the president asked him to step aside amid the controversy.

The resignation followed days of intense public scrutiny triggered by allegations from Dangote, who accused Ahmed of actions that he described as inimical to Nigeria’s economic interests and the survival of local refining. The billionaire businessman specifically alleged that the NMDPRA, under Ahmed’s leadership, deliberately undermined the operations of the $20bn Dangote Refinery by continuing to issue petroleum product import licences despite domestic refining capacity coming on stream.

Beyond regulatory decisions, Dangote escalated the dispute by filing a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and abuse of office. Central to the petition were claims that the NMDPRA chief lived far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public servant, including allegations that he spent several million dollars on foreign education for his children — expenses Dangote argued could not be justified by Ahmed’s official income.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, Ahmed publicly denied the allegations in a statement, describing them as “wild and spurious.” He also disowned a longer statement circulating online that purported to be his detailed response to Dangote, insisting that he had not authorised it. Ahmed said he would not engage in public exchanges over the matter and preferred that any claims against him be examined by the appropriate investigative authorities.

Despite the denial, pressure continued to mount. By Wednesday evening, Ahmed was seen at the Presidential Villa, where he met with President Tinubu. Hours later, the Presidency announced his resignation, reinforcing perceptions that the decision was taken at the highest level of government in response to the growing firestorm.

In a statement issued by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Tinubu had asked the Senate to expedite the confirmation of new chief executives for both the NMDPRA and the NUPRC, following the resignations of Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe respectively. Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed was nominated to replace Ahmed at the NMDPRA.

While no official reason was given for Ahmed’s resignation, the timing — coming after Dangote’s petition, Ahmed’s public denial, and his visit to the Presidential Villa — suggests that the administration opted for a swift leadership change to contain the controversy and stabilise the petroleum regulatory environment.

The ICPC has since confirmed receipt of Dangote’s petition and indicated that it will review the allegations.