Dangote Refinery files lawsuit against NNPC, marketers’ fuel import licences

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a fresh lawsuit seeking to overturn fuel import licences issued to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and fuel marketers, reigniting tensions over petrol importation in Nigeria despite rising domestic refining capacity. This is according to court documents filed by the mega-refinery at the Federal High Court in Lagos and cited by Reuters. The latest legal move is coming after recent reports from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that Nigeria’s petrol imports dropped sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as supply from local refineries climbed to about 3.18 billion litres. MoreStories Why Lagos landlords, agents continue to increase rents Lagos govt bans petroleum tankers from edible oil distribution chain What they are saying The refinery is specifically asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to nullify import permits issued or renewed by the NMDPRA, insisting that the approvals violate an earlier court order directing parties to maintain the status quo pending determination of the matter. • Dangote Refinery argued in the filing that the continued issuance of import licences contravenes Nigerian law, which, according to the company, permits fuel imports only when local supply is insufficient to meet demand. The refinery also maintained that the newly issued permits threaten its operations at a time when it is ramping up output from its multi-billion-dollar facility. In the past, fuel marketers have defended fuel imports, arguing that importation remains necessary to ensure adequate petrol supply and prevent shortages across the country. More insights This is not the first time Dangote Refinery is challenging fuel import licences issued to NNPC and the NMDPRA. In 2025, the refinery filed a similar suit asking a Nigerian court to nullify fuel import licences granted to NNPC Ltd, AYM Shafa Ltd, A.A. Rano Ltd, T. Time Petroleum Ltd, 2015 Petroleum Ltd and Matrix Petroleum Services Ltd. • In that earlier case, Africa’s largest refinery also sought N100 billion in damages. • However, in July 2025, Dangote Refinery unexpectedly withdrew the lawsuit, telling the court: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.” Nigeria has historically depended heavily on imported petrol because of the poor performance of state-owned refineries over several decades. But the emergence of Dangote Refinery, widely regarded as Africa’s largest single-train refinery, has significantly altered the country’s fuel supply dynamics. What you should know Since Dangote Refinery, located on the outskirts of Lagos, began operating at full capacity, it has increasingly become a major supplier of petrol, diesel and other refined petroleum products in Nigeria, contributing to a sharp decline in fuel imports. • Recent data analysed by Nairametrics showed that petrol imports fell to about 965.52 million litres in the first quarter of 2026, down from an estimated 2.43 billion litres recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, representing a steep 60.2 per cent year-on-year decline. At the same time, supply from local refineries rose from 1.996 billion litres in Q1 2025 to 3.179 billion litres in Q1 2026, marking a 59.2 per cent increase. • The figures showed that domestic refineries accounted for roughly 76.7 per cent of Nigeria’s total petrol supply in the first quarter of 2026, compared to 45.2 per cent in the same period of 2025. Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person and President of the Dangote Group, has repeatedly insisted that the refinery has enough capacity to satisfy Nigeria’s fuel needs while also exporting refined products to other African countries. Dangote recently disclosed that as many as 17 cargoes of refined petroleum products were exported to different African countries in March alone, highlighting the refinery’s growing regional footprint.