Dangote Refinery Drops Lawsuit Against NNPC, Petroleum Regulator Over Fuel Import Licenses
Dangote Refinery has officially withdrawn its lawsuit against Nigeria’s petroleum industry regulator and several fuel importers, including the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, had challenged the issuance of fuel import licenses by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In addition to NNPC, the suit named five other companies: AYM Shafa Ltd, A.A. Rano Ltd, T. Time Petroleum Ltd, 2015 Petroleum Ltd, and Matrix Petroleum Services Ltd.
According to court filings, Dangote Refinery—Africa’s largest refining facility—argued that the NMDPRA violated legal provisions by continuing to issue gasoline import permits.
The company claimed that importation should only occur when there is a shortfall in domestic production, a condition it argued was no longer valid now that the refinery is operational.
Dangote sought ₦100 billion (approximately $66 million) in damages, alleging that the continued importation of fuels such as Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and Jet A1 (aviation fuel) undermined local refining efforts.
NNPC Ltd responded by filing a motion urging the court to dismiss the suit. Three of the other defendants—AYM Shafa Ltd, A.A.
Rano Ltd, and Matrix Petroleum Services Ltd—also filed a joint counter-affidavit through their legal counsel, Senior Advocate Ahmed Raji (SAN).
They argued that Dangote’s request, if granted, would harm Nigeria’s oil sector and disrupt the market.
Despite this opposition, the Federal High Court had ruled in March that Dangote’s case could proceed.
However, in a surprising development, Dangote Refinery has now opted to discontinue the case. A notice of discontinuance was filed on Monday by the company’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja. The notice stated:
“Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.”
No official reason was provided for the withdrawal.
Although the case has been dropped, the court is still scheduled to convene on September 29. At that time, the defendants may seek to recover legal costs or request that the matter be formally struck out without further consequences.
