Dangote calls for graft probe over fuel imports

Africa’s most influential industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has escalated a deepening confrontation with Nigeria’s petroleum regulator, warning that unchecked fuel imports are jeopardising billions in investment meant to secure the nation’s energy future, reports the Voice of Africa. Speaking at his 650 000-barrel-per-day Lagos refinery – the largest in Africa and one of the most sophisticated in the world – Dangote accused regulatory authorities of undermining domestic refining capacity, enabling import practices that ‘export jobs abroad while Nigeria struggles to industrialise’. The comments mark Dangote’s sharpest criticism yet as he calls for a formal corruption investigation into the leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. He alleges regulatory mismanagement and irregular personal expenditures linked to the agency’s head, Farouk Ahmed. Ahmed has not responded to the latest accusations but previously argued that Dangote Refinery seeks ‘unfair dominance’, insisting that Nigeria’s demand – 55m litres of fuel per day – cannot yet be met domestically. Dangote maintains that the refinery’s true production capacity is being intentionally downplayed through selective reporting of offtake volumes rather than actual refining totals. The facility was designed to end Nigeria’s decades-long dependence on imported fuels, save billions in foreign exchange, and stabilise the region’s energy market. Instead, the refinery says it is forced to import 100m barrels of crude annually because domestic supply guarantees mandated by law are not being enforced. According to Dangote, local refiners should receive priority before crude is exported, but that policy has not been implemented – creating artificial scarcity for domestic processors.