RT | Wednesday, May 20, 2026 
Nigeria gripped by legal battle over fuel imports

Nigeria’s leading fuel marketers have pushed back against a lawsuit by Dangote Petroleum Refinery seeking to annul fuel import licenses, warning the legal action could destabilize supply and competition in the country’s downstream sector. Last week, Dangote filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court in Lagos against the government, aiming to nullify import licenses issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to independent marketers and the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). Dangote argues that the permits undermine its operations and violate the Petroleum Industry Act by allowing imports despite its refining capacity. In response, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) said the licenses are legal instruments essential to the West African nation’s fuel supply chain. “These licenses exist to protect supply security, not to disadvantage any single producer,” the association said in a statement on Sunday. Invalidating the permits retroactively could introduce “uncertainty into the entire downstream supply chain at a moment when Nigeria can least afford it,” it added. Africa’s most populous country remains heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum despite being a major crude producer. Earlier court actions by Dangote, including a September 2024 lawsuit challenging similar import permits, were withdrawn last year, leaving unresolved tensions in the sector…Read more