Aliko Dangote is facing a fresh showdown with fuel importers in Nigeria, as marketers push back against efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products following the launch of the Dangote refinery.
Fuel marketers in Nigeria have escalated their opposition to a lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery seeking to invalidate import licences issued to petroleum marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), warning that the move could destabilise fuel supply and undermine competition in Africa’s largest oil market.
The legal battles come amid Dangote’s recent tour of East Africa, where governments are seeking to establish a functional refinery. He has emerged as the preferred bidder in the region’s push to secure the project.
Nigerian-based Dangote Petroleum Refinery has previously sought tighter restrictions on fuel imports, arguing that its refinery is capable of meeting Nigeria’s domestic demand and should be protected from what it describes as distortive import practices.
The company recently filed a suit against the Nigerian government challenging the regulatory permits granted for imports of refined petroleum products.
