Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a new lawsuit against Nigeria’s attorney general in a bid to overturn fuel import licences issued to marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), according to court documents seen by Reuters.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, asks the court to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). Dangote argues that the licences breach an earlier court order to maintain the status quo and contravene the law, which it says allows imports only when domestic supply falls short.
The filing marks a renewal of tensions almost a year after Dangote withdrew an earlier lawsuit challenging similar licences. That case sought to nullify import permits issued to NNPC and several traders, including Matrix Petroleum Services, AYM Shafa, A.A. Rano, T. Time Petroleum, and 2015 Petroleum. Dangote ended the earlier lawsuit in July 2025 without explanation.
Dangote’s $20 billion refinery in Lagos, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, was expected to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol. The plant began producing diesel and aviation fuel in January 2024 and started petrol production in September 2024. It is Africa’s largest single-train refinery and has plans to scale up to 1.4 million barrels per day.
However, imports have continued to cover supply gaps as the refinery ramps up output. Regulators and marketers have argued that imports remain necessary to ensure adequate supply and prevent shortages. NMDPRA previously stated that Dangote Refinery cannot meet national demand and that the licences were issued to bridge those gaps.
In the earlier suit, Dangote sought N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for issuing import licences despite no declared shortfall in petroleum products supply. Marketers and NNPC opposed the case, arguing that competition is essential and that Dangote was seeking a monopoly. NNPC also raised a preliminary objection, saying the suit was incompetent due to misidentification of the company….See More
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