The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has initiated a fresh legal battle against the Federal Government, challenging the continued importation of petroleum products into the country. Despite public expressions of support from the presidency, the mega-refinery filed a new lawsuit on Friday, May 15, 2026, seeking to nullify fuel import licenses and permits recently granted to oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, directly names the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) as defendants. This development follows the NMDPRA’s recent policy shift allowing six marketing firms to import over 600,000 metric tonnes of petrol—a regulatory decision that Dangote argues undermines domestic refining and violates statutory provisions meant to protect local production.
Key Arguments in the Lawsuit
- Nullification of Import Permits: The refinery is asking the court to void and reverse all import licenses recently issued or renewed by the NMDPRA, asserting that domestic capacity is now sufficient to meet national demand.
- Protection of Local Industry: Dangote’s legal team contends that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) prioritizes local refining over importation, and that issuing fresh permits actively harms multi-billion-dollar domestic investments.
- Regulatory Back-and-Forth: This suit marks a stark escalation in the ongoing friction between Aliko Dangote’s enterprise and state regulators. It comes on the heels of previous disputes and a brief policy window earlier in the year where the federal government had temporarily suspended petrol imports to protect local output.
- Monopoly vs. Competition Concerns: While regulators and independent marketers argue that allowing imports prevents a domestic monopoly and controls pricing, Dangote maintains that importing fuel drains scarce foreign exchange and stymies local industrial growth.
