The House of Representatives has intervened in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, summoning the leadership of Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) amid rising tension and public allegations between the two parties.

The House Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) made the decision following an emergency meeting convened to address what it described as “growing tension” in the industry. The committees are chaired by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and Hon. Henry Okogie.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Ugochinyere explained that the committee has ordered a halt to all public exchanges and media comments between the parties until the investigation is concluded. He said the committee’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding the stability recently achieved in the downstream sector.

“The key issue that necessitated this emergency meeting was the growing tension resulting from concerns and allegations raised by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA,” Ugochinyere said.
“We are committed to protecting the stability that has been established in the sector.”

The committee resolved to formally summon both Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, and the leadership of the NMDPRA to provide detailed explanations regarding the issues fuelling the dispute.

“We can only find sustainable solutions when we identify the critical issues leading to this tension. That is why the committee resolved to invite Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the NMDPRA chief to meet with us and give insights into what is driving these allegations and counter-allegations,” Ugochinyere added.

The lawmakers emphasized that the meeting will thoroughly examine all outstanding matters, ensuring that solutions proposed are sustainable and in the best interest of the sector.

The intervention follows public allegations by Dangote, who claimed during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, that NMDPRA CEO Farouk Ahmed spent about $5 million on the secondary education of his four children in Switzerland. Dangote argued that the alleged expenditure is inconsistent with the earnings of a career public servant and could undermine public trust and investor confidence in the sector if left unaddressed.

“That secondary school education, which is six years for four children, allegedly cost about $5 million. You cannot imagine somebody paying $5 million just to educate four children in secondary school,” Dangote said.

The committee’s investigation is expected to bring clarity to these allegations and identify steps to restore stability, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry.