.…Challenges NMDPRA’s approval of import permits to marketers, NNPCL
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has instituted a fresh legal action against the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to invalidate newly issued petrol import licences granted to petroleum marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
In the suit, the refinery is asking the court to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, arguing that the approvals undermine domestic refining capacity and violate existing regulatory provisions governing fuel importation.
The development comes amid renewed controversy over Nigeria’s fuel import policy, despite repeated claims by regulators that local refining is increasingly meeting national demand. Industry data attributed to the NMDPRA indicates that the Dangote Refinery accounted for about 79 per cent of Nigeria’s petrol supply in April 2026.
However, the refinery is challenging the government’s continued issuance of import licences to marketers and the NNPCL, insisting that such decisions contradict the stated push for a “Nigeria-first” energy policy and threaten investments in local refining.
According to filings reported by Reuters, Dangote Refinery argued that import permits should only be issued when domestic supply is insufficient, adding that the current approvals for May amount to a policy reversal that could destabilise the downstream petroleum sector.
The company further contended that allowing sustained imports despite rising local production capacity would erode gains made in domestic refining and expose the market to unnecessary price distortions.
Recall that the refinery had earlier withdrawn a similar suit in 2025 following government intervention and assurances aimed at resolving disputes within the downstream petroleum framework.
The latest legal action signals a renewed escalation in tensions between Africa’s largest refinery and regulatory authorities over market control, pricing, and supply strategy.
Currently, petrol imported by marketers reportedly sells between N1,285 and N1,295 per litre, while the Dangote Refinery reportedly dispenses at around N1,200 per litre, intensifying competition in the downstream market.
The case is expected to test the legal limits of Nigeria’s import licensing regime as well as the government’s balancing act between domestic refining support and fuel supply security.
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