How I funded my children’s education in Switzerland — NMDPRA CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, has explained how he funded his children’s education in Switzerland, dismissing allegations that the expenses were products of corruption.

Ahmed made this known via a statement issued on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

The NMDPRA boss said claims that he spent about $5 million on his children’s Swiss education were misleading and ignored key facts.

He disclosed that three of his four children benefited from merit-based scholarships covering between 40 and 65 per cent of tuition costs.

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According to him, additional funding came from education trust funds established by his late father, a Northern Nigerian businessman, before his death in 2018, as well as his personal savings from over three decades of public service.

Ahmed noted that his annual remuneration as NMDPRA CEO, about N48 million including allowances, is publicly available, adding that combined with cooperative investments available to civil servants and family support, the education costs were well within his legitimate means.

He stressed that he has consistently declared his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau since joining public service in 1991 and has invited relevant authorities to scrutinise his finances.

“I hereby publicly authorise all educational institutions my children have attended to disclose financial records to authorised Nigerian government investigators,” the NMDPRA CEO said.

The Star