NNPCL Rejects Dangote Refinery's Lawsuit, Claims Court Lacks Jurisdiction

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has challenged a lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.

The suit seeks to secure exclusive rights for Dangote Refinery to supply petroleum products in Nigeria, effectively nullifying NNPCL's import license.

The NNPCL, represented by a team of lawyers led by Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, has labeled the lawsuit as "incompetent" and "premature." They argue that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, emphasizing that the plaintiff, Dangote Refinery, mistakenly listed a non-existent entity, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as a defendant.

"A simple search on the CAC website shows that there is no entity called Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPC," NNPCL stated.

The legal proceedings have been adjourned until January 20, 2025, to allow both parties to explore an out-of-court settlement.

Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery contends that the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) breached Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act by issuing import licenses to NNPCL and other major oil marketers, despite Dangote's capacity to meet domestic demand.

Dangote Refinery has requested the court to award N100 billion in damages against the NMDPRA and to issue an injunction preventing further issuance of import licenses to other companies.

The refinery argues that allowing multiple players to import petroleum products would undermine competitive pricing and harm Nigeria's economy.