A documentary about Diezani Alison-Madueke, directed by Nigerian TV host Chude Jideonwo, is set to premiere later this year. Titled “Is it Your Money? The Story of Diezani Alison-Madueke,” the documentary explores the life and controversies surrounding the former petroleum minister.
Jideonwo announced this project on Instagram, describing it as the “biggest-budget docu-series” from Nigeria, with a 100+ member team working over two years.
The series was shot across three countries and eight cities, tracing alleged and confirmed loot across 15 jurisdictions, and includes interviews with investigators from the FBI, MET Police, and EFCC.
Diezani Alison-Madueke made history as the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, the first female Minister of Transportation, and the first woman appointed to the Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria board.
In 2014, she became the first female president of OPEC. However, her tenure has been marred by allegations of corruption.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused her of living a luxurious lifestyle funded by corrupt dealings. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) also charged her with multiple counts of corruption.
In 2023, Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit, stated that Alison-Madueke was suspected of abusing her power in Nigeria to receive financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
She was accused of benefiting from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, luxury holidays, and multiple London properties. In October 2023, she appeared in the Westminster Magistrates Court in the UK over the alleged bribes and was granted £70,000 bail.
The documentary, co-produced by Judith Audu, Eromo Egbejule, and Jideonwo, and executive produced by Jideonwo, Mfon Ekpo, Yemi Adamolekun, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, and Capital Film Productions, aims to provide an in-depth look at Alison-Madueke’s impact and the extensive international investigation into her alleged corruption.
