Dangote Petroleum Refinery has taken legal action against the Federal Government over the issuance of fresh petrol import licences to petroleum marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
According to Reuters, the 650,000 barrel per day refinery, in a filing before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, asked the court to nullify import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.
The legal action follows criticism from industry stakeholders over the decision to approve fresh petrol import licences despite claims that Dangote Refinery currently possesses the capacity to satisfy a significant portion of domestic fuel demand.
Data earlier released by the NMDPRA reportedly showed that Dangote Refinery supplied about 79 percent of Nigeria’s petrol consumption in April 2026.
Despite this, the regulatory authority proceeded with the issuance of new import licences, a move that has attracted opposition from industry analysts and local refining advocates.
In response, Dangote Refinery filed a fresh lawsuit seeking to overturn import approvals granted to the NNPCL and several fuel marketers.
The refinery accused the government of policy inconsistency despite promoting a Nigerian first policy aimed at supporting local production and refining.
According to the court filing, the licences issued in May undermine the refinery’s operations and violate provisions of the law, which Dangote argued only permit fuel imports when local supply is insufficient.
The refinery is also seeking to preserve the gains made in domestic refining since the commencement of its operations.
The latest legal battle comes after Dangote Refinery withdrew an earlier lawsuit against fuel importers in 2025 following the intervention of the Federal Government.
Current market figures indicate that some fuel importers sell petrol between N1,285 and N1,295 per litre, while Dangote Refinery reportedly supplies the product at about N1,200 per litre.
