Dangote’s Inconvenient Truth: From Resignation to Reform
By Rev. David Ugolor
Aliko Dangote’s public whistleblowing and the resignation of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Eng. Farouk Ahmed, exposed more than an individual lapse. They revealed a systemic failure in Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory regime — one marked by weak enforcement, opacity, and a deep deficit of public trust.
For years, citizens and investors have questioned whether regulators truly serve the public interest or operate within a culture of impunity. Despite the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), regulatory implementation has remained inconsistent, reinforcing skepticism about accountability in the downstream petroleum sector. Dangote’s intervention merely amplified what civil society has long argued: when regulation lacks transparency, corruption thrives.
Yet this moment also presents an opportunity.
The recent Senate screening of newly nominated Chief Executive Officers for Nigeria’s petroleum regulators — including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the NMDPRA — offers a chance to reset expectations. During the hearings, the nominees pledged to digitise regulatory processes, enforce contracts, and restore investor confidence.
These assurances directly address the core weaknesses undermining Nigeria’s regulatory credibility. However, given the country’s history, promises alone cannot rebuild trust. They must become benchmarks for accountability, not sound bites that fade after confirmation.
Nigeria’s regulatory challenges are systemic. No single leader, however well intentioned, can fix them alone. Reform requires collective action involving civil society, responsible private sector actors, professional associations, the media, and transparency institutions such as the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Collective action helps transform leadership assurances into results by monitoring digitisation efforts, tracking enforcement decisions, and using NEITI data to expose compliance gaps. Political will, after all, is not declared; it is generated through sustained pressure and oversight.
OECD regulatory policy recommendations offer clear guidance. Effective regulators are independent, transparent, and accountable. They publish data, justify decisions, engage stakeholders, and subject themselves to regular performance evaluation.
Nigeria already has some of these building blocks. NEITI produces credible data on the extractive sector. What remains missing is the systematic use of this evidence to guide enforcement and inform the public.
To turn resignation into reform, civil society and the private sector must leverage the new leadership’s public assurances to demand:
• Full digitisation of regulatory processes to reduce discretion
• Transparent enforcement of contracts and sanctions
• Public disclosure of beneficial ownership in the oil and gas sector
• Greater transparency around asset declarations of senior officials
These measures would strengthen PIA implementation and begin restoring confidence in regulatory institutions.
Dangote’s whistleblowing exposed uncomfortable truths about Nigeria’s regulatory system. The resignation that followed should not mark the end of the story. The assurances given by the new NUPRC and NMDPRA leadership create a narrow but important window for reform.
Whether this moment becomes a turning point or another missed opportunity will depend on collective action. Promises have been made. The task now is to ensure they are monitored, measured, and fulfilled.
Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)