Dangote Petroleum Refinery had, in April, dragged Nigeria’s Attorney General to court, challenging fuel import licences issued or renewed by the NMDPRA to fuel marketers and the NNPC.
Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has accused the Dangote Petroleum Refinery of attempting to monopolise Nigeria’s fuel market through a lawsuit seeking to restrict fuel import licences granted to rival marketers.
According to court documents, the NNPC, in a proposed defence filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos State, argued that granting Dangote Refinery’s request to void or limit import permits issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority would expose the country to fuel supply disruptions, price instability and threats to national energy security.
Reuters reports that the NMDPRA has also applied to join the suit, escalating the legal battle over fuel importation policies and Dangote Refinery’s growing dominance in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The dispute comes ahead of Dangote Refinery’s planned September initial public offering (IPO), a move expected to attract investor scrutiny over market regulations, competition and the refinery’s projected revenue outlook.
