NNPC Accuses Dangote Refinery of Monopoly Intent in Fresh Legal Clash Over Fuel Imports
Nigeria’s state oil company, NNPC Limited, has accused Dangote Petroleum Refinery of attempting to monopolise the country’s downstream petroleum sector through its ongoing legal challenge against fuel import licences issued to marketers.
The allegation was made in court documents filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where NNPC is responding to a suit by the refinery seeking to invalidate import permits granted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
NNPC argued that the refinery’s attempt to stop or cancel the licences could give it excessive control over the fuel market, weaken competition, and expose Nigeria to supply disruptions and price instability.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has also joined the case, widening the legal dispute over regulatory authority and market structure in the petroleum sector.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which began operations in 2024 and is Africa’s largest, maintains that fuel imports undermine local refining capacity and are inconsistent with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.
NNPC, however, maintained that import licences remain a lawful mechanism to safeguard supply security and ensure market balance where domestic production is insufficient.
The case is expected to continue in court in the coming weeks, as stakeholders remain divided over competition, energy security, and the structure of Nigeria’s downstream oil market.
