Dangote Vs Farouk: ₦7.5billion on Four Children While 18million Are Out of School? —Peter Obi Reacts

Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has commented on the controversy surrounding allegations against Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), describing the issue as a broader test of public responsibility and moral accountability.

Obi made the remarks in a post shared on X on Monday, December 22, 2025, reacting to allegations by President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that Farouk spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland.

He wrote, “One of the most talked-about public controversies in recent times is the allegation surrounding Farouk Ahmed.”

Referencing Dangote’s claim, Obi stated, “Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, alleged that Mr. Farouk, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland.”

Obi added that Dangote had demanded accountability, saying he “called for a full investigation and public explanation.” Highlighting the economic implications, Obi wrote, “At current exchange rates, $5 million is approximately ₦7.5 billion.”

He linked the figure to Nigeria’s education crisis, stating, “In a country with over 18 million out-of-school children — the highest number in the world — this revelation inevitably raises questions of proportionality, public trust, and moral responsibility.”

Obi clarified that the debate was not about education itself, writing, “The issue here, therefore, is not education itself, but scale, context, and moral consequence.” He further noted that the concern becomes more serious “especially when such spending is attributed to a public official in a country with extreme inequality.”

Outlining alternative uses of the alleged amount, Obi wrote, “With ₦7.5 billion, it would be possible to build 25 school blocks, at ₦35 million per block.” He explained the projected impact, stating, “That means 6,000 students educated every year.”

Obi added that the initiative would create employment, noting, “Each block would employ 18 teachers, giving a total of 450 teachers.” On sustainability, he wrote, “If the remaining ₦5.95 billion is invested in Nigerian government bonds at 19%, it would yield approximately ₦1.13 billion annually.”

According to him, “In effect, the system becomes permanently self-funding, without touching the original capital.” Expanding the argument nationally, Obi stated, “If 2,400 individuals each sacrificed $5 million, it will achieve the following.” He added, “This would not be a one-off intervention, but a national, self-sustaining education ecosystem.”

Concluding, Obi wrote, “The Farouk controversy, therefore, is not merely about one man. It is a mirror held up to our collective conscience.” He warned of the consequences of neglecting education, stating, “When education is neglected, the damage does not stop with children — it spreads to everything else.”