Abuja, Nigeria – The legal showdown between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over oil import licences has taken another twist, as the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the high-stakes suit to November 5.
The case, which could reshape the balance of power in Nigeria’s multibillion-dollar fuel market, stalled once again after Justice Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge, was unavoidably absent — reportedly sitting at the Enugu Division of the court.
Justice Umar had earlier ordered all parties to regularise their filings ahead of the hearing, but proceedings will now resume in November when the court reconvenes.
The refinery, owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is challenging what it calls the “illegal issuance” of petroleum import licences by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to NNPCL and five major oil marketers — AYM Shafa, A.A. Rano, T. Time, 2015 Petroleum, and Matrix Petroleum.
Dangote’s legal team, led by Ogwu Onoja, SAN, is asking the court to void the import licences and declare them a violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which restricts such imports to periods of actual product shortfall.
The refinery is also seeking ₦100 billion in damages, accusing the regulators of sabotaging local refining efforts and encouraging import dependence.
But the defendants are pushing back hard.
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The NNPCL, represented by Afe Babalola & Co, insists that the case is incompetent and premature, arguing that the “NNPCL” sued by Dangote is a nonexistent entity.
“A simple search on the CAC website shows there is no company named ‘Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited,’” an affidavit deposed by the firm’s clerk, Isiaka Popoola, stated.
The NMDPRA also hit back, insisting that Dangote’s current production falls short of national demand, forcing the regulator to issue import licences to credible marketers “to prevent scarcity and maintain competition.”
Oil marketers joined in the defence, warning that granting Dangote’s prayers could plunge the country into crisis and create a dangerous monopoly in the petroleum sector.
The battle over fuel imports has been simmering for months, as Dangote’s $20 billion refinery begins test operations and seeks to dominate Nigeria’s downstream market.
The case, initially before Justice Inyang Ekwo, is now being heard afresh (denovo) by Justice Umar following reassignment.
In March, Justice Ekwo dismissed NNPCL’s objection, describing it as “incompetent”, and refused to join the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), calling it a “meddlesome interloper.”
As industry watchers await the next hearing, the courtroom confrontation has become a proxy war for control of Nigeria’s oil future, between a private mega-refinery aiming to end fuel imports, and powerful state and commercial players determined to preserve the status quo.
