Dangote Refinery drags government to court over fuel import licences issued to marketers and NNPC

• Dangote Refinery files a fresh lawsuit against Nigeria’s Attorney-General.

• Suit seeks to stop issuance of fuel import licences to marketers and NNPC.

• Company argues licences violate earlier court orders and petroleum laws.

• Case renews tensions over Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.

Africa’s largest refinery, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has filed a new lawsuit against Nigeria’s Attorney-General in a renewed legal battle over the issuance of fuel import licences to petroleum marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

According to court filings seen in Lagos, the refinery is asking the Federal High Court to overturn import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing that the approvals violate existing legal provisions and a prior court order maintaining the status quo on fuel imports. 

The company is also seeking to stop the continued issuance of licences to marketers and the state-owned oil company, insisting that domestic refining capacity should reduce the need for imports.

The latest suit signals a fresh escalation in a long-running dispute between the Dangote refinery and Nigerian regulators over fuel importation policy. Similar legal actions had been filed previously by the company but were later withdrawn or discontinued, leaving the core issues unresolved. 

Nigeria has historically relied heavily on imported refined petroleum products due to underperforming state-owned refineries. However, with the commissioning of the Dangote refinery; a multi-billion-dollar facility designed to process about 650,000 barrels per day, expectations were that the country would significantly reduce its dependence on imports.

Despite this, fuel imports have continued, with regulators arguing that imports remain necessary to ensure adequate supply and market stability while local production ramps up.

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The refinery, however, maintains that continued import licensing undermines its operations and discourages full utilisation of domestic refining capacity.

The NMDPRA has not yet publicly responded to the new lawsuit. The legal action comes amid broader debates over Nigeria’s fuel supply framework, pricing, and energy security, as the government continues to balance domestic production with import dependence to avoid fuel shortages.