NMDPRA (as credited by Punch)
2025-12-17
The anti‑corruption agency ICPC says it has received a formal petition from billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote against the chief executive of Nigeria’s downstream regulator, the NMDPRA, amid an intensifying dispute over fuel imports and regulation.
The petition escalates a broader public battle between Dangote’s refinery interests and the regulator over licensing and market rules, with significant implications for Nigeria’s fuel pricing, import dependence and local refining strategy.
Regulatory credibility is on the line: allegations of misconduct, if substantiated, could trigger leadership changes and policy shifts; if unproven, the episode could still deepen mistrust in the governance of the downstream sector.
The coming days will likely feature competing narratives, lobbying from marketers, and calls for transparent disclosure around licences, volumes and pricing benchmarks.
ICPC: “it received a formal petition… The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”
Reuters: “You don’t use imports to checkmate domestic potential,” Dangote told reporters.
Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is now bigger than personalities — it’s a test of Nigeria’s downstream reform story. Watch for ICPC’s investigative steps, any interim actions, and whether government moves to calm market nerves around supply and pricing.
Source: Punch — December 17, 2025 — https://punchng.com/petrol-battlefield-icpc-plans-nmdpra-boss-probe-after-dangote-petition/