Dangote Refinery Sues FG, NNPC Over Fresh Petrol Import Licences

• Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a fresh lawsuit against the Federal Government, challenging fuel import licences issued to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and several marketers.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a fresh lawsuit against Nigeria’s Attorney General in a move aimed at overturning petrol import licences issued to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and several fuel marketers.

The legal action follows recent approvals granted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to six marketers for the importation of petrol into the country.

According to court documents, the refinery is seeking an order from the Federal High Court in Lagos to nullify the import permits issued or renewed by the NMDPRA.

Dangote Refinery argued that the licences violate an earlier court order directing parties to maintain the status quo.

The refinery also maintained that fuel imports should only be allowed when local supply falls short, insisting that its current production capacity can adequately meet domestic demand.

The NMDPRA had recently approved licences for the importation of 720,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.

The approved marketers include NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle, and Bono.

Breakdown of the allocations showed that NIPCO is expected to import 120,000 metric tonnes, AA Rano 150,000MT, Matrix 150,000MT, Shafa 120,000MT, Pinnacle 120,000MT, and Bono 60,000MT.

The development comes despite claims by the NMDPRA that Dangote Refinery currently supplies over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption.

Industry regulators and marketers have repeatedly defended fuel importation, arguing that imports remain necessary to ensure stable supply and prevent shortages across the country.

It would be recalled that Dangote Refinery had previously withdrawn a similar lawsuit against the NNPC and other marketers in 2025 following the intervention of the Federal Government.

President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has consistently argued against continued petrol importation, insisting that there is no reason to import fuel while his refinery has sufficient production and storage capacity.

Speaking during a recent interview with Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund CEO, Nicolai Tangen, Dangote disclosed that the refinery is currently processing about 661,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

“The refinery has been tested. We have now processed even crude at 661,000 barrels a day. So we have demonstrated that capability,” he said.

Dangote also revealed that the refinery sources about 56 per cent of its crude oil from Nigeria, while additional supplies come from Angola, Libya, and the United States.

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He further stated that the company plans to expand production capacity to about 1.4 million barrels per day within the next 30 months.

During the interview, Dangote accused certain powerful interests of attempting to sabotage the refinery because of the financial benefits tied to fuel importation and subsidy arrangements.

“The Mafia are the people who are actually benefiting because Nigeria were giving out almost $10bn every year as a subsidy,” he said.

“There are shippers who are making tonnes of money. There are traders who are making a lot of money buying crude and sending us refined products,” he added.