Nigeria, Dec. 25 -- When a billionaire suddenly becomes an overnight anti-corruption crusader, one should pause. Not because activism is wrong, but because power rarely moves without an agenda. In Nigeria's oil sector - where money, regulation, and influence intersect - nothing happens in isolation.

I was drawn into this debate long before the current drama peaked. In July 2024, during the first public clash between Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), I wrote an article titled "Monopolistic Oligarchies: The Tale of Dangote of Nigeria and Ambani of India." In it, I defended indigenous industrial growth while warning against the dangers of unchecke...