Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has formally withdrawn its N100 billion lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and other oil marketers, including AYM Shafa Limited and A.A. Rano Limited.
Filed in September 2024, the suit challenged import licences granted by NMDPRA, arguing they violated sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Dangote claimed these licences undermined domestic refining capacity despite Nigeria’s reliance on refined product imports. The refinery had sought declarations and injunctions against continued licence issuance and damages from the defendants.
Earlier in 2025, a federal judge dismissed NNPCL’s jurisdictional challenge, allowing Dangote’s case to proceed. The defendants had countered, asserting the refinery was still ramping up capacity and that market competition necessitated imports.
However, on July 28, 2025, Dangote’s lead counsel, Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, filed a notice of discontinuance, effectively withdrawing the lawsuit without public explanation and leaving speculation about possible behind‑the‑scenes settlements.
The abrupt termination raises questions about the dynamics between indigenous refineries and regulatory authorities, the evolving role of NMDPRA in licence allocation, and Dangote’s strategic positioning in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
