Dangote Refinery Withdraws ₦100bn Suit Over Petroleum Import Licences

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has withdrawn its ₦100 billion lawsuit challenging the issuance of petroleum import licences by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The refinery had filed the suit on September 6, 2024, alleging that NMDPRA breached Sections 317(8) and 317(9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by approving import permits despite the availability of domestic refining capacity. According to Dangote, import licences should only be issued when there is a verified shortfall in local supply.

The NMDPRA was named as the first defendant, alongside the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and several petroleum marketing companies, including AYM Shafa Limited, A.A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to Dangote, C.O. Adegbe, informed the court that the refinery had filed a notice of discontinuance on July 28, after all parties agreed that the matter should be struck out.

Presiding Judge Mohammed Umar subsequently dismissed the case, following submissions from both Dangote’s legal team and the defence counsel.