Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin has brought to light an attempted bribe by an international NGO, Dialogue Earth, to tarnish the reputation of the Dangote Refinery. Hundeyin revealed in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday that he was offered N800,000 (approximately $500) by the NGO to write a defamatory article focused on environmental issues surrounding Nigeria’s first major oil refinery.
Hundeyin, known for his investigative work, stated that he refused the bribe and chose to expose the offer to the public, citing the importance of transparency and public awareness. He emphasized that the public has a right to know about the external interests that have historically contributed to the energy poverty experienced by Nigeria and West Africa.
“People need to know that there are external interests invested in the energy poverty that Nigeria and West Africa have historically faced. I don’t believe that my going public with it is going to change the world; however, I think that the power of public exposure is one of the last few powers that regular people in this part of the world still have,” Hundeyin said during the interview.
He highlighted that many foreign actors benefit from Africa’s persistent energy challenges, a claim often dismissed as a conspiracy theory. Hundeyin argued that these foreign entities, using African faces, are engaged in a narrative war aimed at maintaining the status quo of energy poverty on the continent, despite Africa’s vast resources.
“Prior to this incident, if you were to come out and tell people that there are players in the global development space or in the NGO space who would very much like the status quo to be preserved in terms of Africa being poor and Nigeria suffering from energy poverty, despite being one of the world’s largest energy exporters, it would sound like a conspiracy theory,” Hundeyin remarked.
Hundeyin also expressed concern about the media’s role in this issue, noting that some Nigerian platforms have dismissed his claims as sensationalist, accusing him of seeking attention. He criticized the media’s complicity in pushing a counter-narrative that undermines his report.
Reflecting on his experience, Hundeyin noted that while he has previously been approached for commissioned work, this was the first time he faced an offer to write against his country’s interests. He expressed his skepticism about the government’s role, stating that he does not expect any action from them regarding this matter.
“I expect the government to do absolutely nothing as they always do. I didn’t do this to get a response from the government. It was to educate the public because I think it is only the public that can rescue this thing now, because clearly the government of the day, at the very least, doesn’t seem to care if Dangote refinery takes off or not,” Hundeyin asserted.
He warned of the potential disaster for Nigeria and Africa if the $20 billion Dangote refinery project were to fail, underscoring the critical nature of this issue for the continent’s future.
Hundeyin first raised these allegations against Dialogue Earth, previously known as China Dialogue Trust, on Saturday through a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter). He accused the NGO of attempting to commission a smear campaign against the Dangote Refinery under the pretext of environmental concerns, with the potential goal of pressuring the Nigerian government to shut down or restrict the refinery’s operations under the guise of “energy transition commitments” and “environmental policy.”
