The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a ₦100 billion case filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and several oil marketing companies over the issuance of import licences.
Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed the case on Wednesday after Dangote’s lawyer, C.O. Adegbe, moved to discontinue the matter. Defence counsel opposed the withdrawal, urging the court to dismiss the suit entirely, arguing that the plaintiff could attempt to refile the case after making modifications.
Dangote had sued the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and NNPCL, along with AYM Shafa Ltd, A.A. Rano Ltd, T. Time Petroleum Ltd, 2015 Petroleum Ltd, and Matrix Petroleum Services Ltd, seeking ₦100 billion in damages and the nullification of their import permits.
The company alleged that the NMDPRA breached Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act, which restrict the issuance of import licences to cases of supply shortfall.
Justice Umar ruled that, given that pleadings had already been exchanged, the matter was ripe for hearing and therefore stood dismissed rather than struck out, though without costs.
Defence filings argued that Dangote’s production output had yet to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand and that import licences were necessary to prevent shortages. The case’s dismissal ends — for now — a dispute that has drawn significant attention amid ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
