Farouk Ahmed: What $5m Allegedly Spent On Children’s Education In Switzerland Could Do In Nigeria -Obi
By Sunday Etuka
The former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi has explained that the $5 million (N7.5billion) allegedly spent by the former Authority Chief of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed on his children’s education in Switzerland would possibly build 25 school blocks, at ₦35 million per block, fully covering construction, furnishing, and basic learning infrastructure.
Recall that the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, recently alleged that Mr. Farouk Ahmed, spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland, calling for a full investigation and public explanation.
Mr Obi revealed that each block of 25 blocks could employ 18 teachers, giving a total of 450 teachers, and at a monthly salary of ₦125,000, each teacher earns ₦1.5 million per year, bringing the total annual wage bill to ₦675 million.
He said after construction (₦875 million) and one full year of teacher salaries (₦675 million), total expenditure is ₦1.55 billion, leaving a balance of ₦5.95 billion from the original ₦7.5 billion.
Obi said to make the System Self-Sustaining, if the remaining ₦5.95 billion is invested in Nigerian government bonds at 19%, it would yield approximately ₦1.13 billion annually. From this yield, allocating ₦10 million per school block per year for libraries, laboratories, utilities, learning materials, meals, and maintenance would cost: ₦250 million annually (₦10m × 25 blocks). This still leaves ₦880 million per year.
He said from this balance: ₦675 million comfortably pays teachers’ salaries every year, over ₦200 million remains as surplus, ensuring reserves, expansion, and long-term stability, saying that in effect, the system becomes permanently self-funding, without touching the original capital.
A moral contrast in simple terms, according to him, the amount allegedly spent on the education of four children could establish a self-sustaining education ecosystem that: Educates 6,000 Nigerian children every year and employs 450 teachers.
Mr Obi, in a post on his X handle on Monday said 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.
He submitted that the Nigerian children educated abroad would benefit even more if those who remain at home were educated to comparable standards to work for them and with them when they return.
“An educated society produces better governance, safer communities, stronger institutions, and a more dignified nation. It is a win-win,” he added.
According to Obi, “The Larger Question Nigeria has a population of about 240 million people. In a system described by former British Prime Minister David Cameron as “fantastically corrupt,” and by the U.S. President Donald Trump as “a now disgraced country,” it is reasonable to assume that there are at least 2,400 individuals – just 0.0001% of the population – who, like the Farouks, have access to extraordinary resources largely derived from public office.
“If 2,400 individuals each sacrificed $5 million, it will achieve the following: School blocks built: 25 × 2,400 = 60,000 blocks Students educated every year: 6,000 × 2,400 = 14.4 million students annually. Teachers employed: 450 × 2,400 = 1.08 million teachers.
“This would not be a one-off intervention, but a national, self-sustaining education ecosystem, capable of virtually eliminating Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, while creating massive employment and stabilising communities across the country.
“Under such a scenario, Nigeria would no longer be debating access to education; the debate would have shifted to quality, innovation, and excellence.
“The Farouk controversy, therefore, is not merely about one man. It is a mirror held up to our collective conscience – asking whether privilege will continue to coexist comfortably with abandonment, or whether responsibility will finally rise to meet opportunity.
“As Plato warned centuries ago, when education is neglected, the damage does not stop with children — it spreads to everything else,” he said.
