Dangote Refinery has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to annul import licenses granted to several companies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, and A. A. Rano.
The case, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, underscores the refinery's contention that its production of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet-A1 fuel exceeds Nigeria's daily consumption needs, rendering these import licenses unnecessary.
Dangote Refinery is demanding N100 billion in damages from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The refinery alleges that the NMDPRA has been improperly issuing import licenses for petroleum products, which should only be imported when there is a shortage.
"The issuance of these licenses is severely hindering our operations," stated a representative from Dangote Refinery, highlighting the substantial financial investments made by the company.
The lawsuit also addresses a proposed 0.5% levy on the refinery, which Dangote claims contradicts statutory provisions. The refinery argues that the NMDPRA's actions are not supporting local refineries as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). "Such licenses ought only to be granted in situations where there is a shortage of petroleum products," emphasized Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, the lawyer representing Dangote Refinery.
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