Fuel Import War: Dangote Refinery Drags FG, Marketers To Court Over Petrol Licences

 By Kehinde Awosina 



Africa’s largest refinery, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has filed a fresh lawsuit against Nigeria’s Attorney-General over the issuance of fuel import licences to petroleum marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).


The legal action, reportedly filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeks to overturn import permits granted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The refinery argued that the continued approval of fuel imports violates existing petroleum regulations and negatively affects its operations. 


According to court documents, the refinery maintained that fuel importation should only be permitted when local production cannot meet domestic demand. The company insisted that its refining capacity is sufficient to supply a significant portion of Nigeria’s petrol needs, making large-scale import licences unnecessary. 


Reports indicated that the NMDPRA recently approved the importation of about 720,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for several marketers, including NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle, and Bono Energy. 


The lawsuit marks a renewed dispute between the refinery and government regulators over Nigeria’s fuel import policy. A similar case previously initiated by the refinery was withdrawn in 2025 without public explanation. 


Industry stakeholders remain divided on the issue, as some marketers and regulators argue that fuel imports are still necessary to guarantee steady supply and prevent shortages across the country while local refining capacity continues to expand. 

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