Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reopened its legal battle with the Nigerian government over the continued issuance of fuel import licences to oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The refinery, owned by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote, filed a fresh suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging permits recently approved by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
According to court filings, the company argues that the licences violate existing legal directives and contradict provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, which permits fuel imports only when local production cannot meet domestic demand.
The dispute revives tensions that had eased after Dangote withdrew a similar lawsuit in 2025 without publicly stating the reason for the move.
The refinery maintains that Nigeria now has enough local refining capacity to significantly reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, especially with its 650,000 barrels-per-day facility operating in Lagos.
However, regulators and fuel marketers have defended continued imports, insisting they are still necessary to guarantee market stability and prevent supply shortages while domestic production scales up fully.
Industry analysts say the renewed court action could deepen the long-running debate over competition, pricing, and market control in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
The NMDPRA and the Office of the Attorney General had not issued official responses at the time of reporting.