The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the N100 billion lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other parties concerning a dispute over fuel import licences.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the ruling, dismissing the case after the defendants made an oral application. This came in response to Dangote Refinery’s lawyer, C. O. Adegbe, applying to withdraw the suit.

The defendants in the case included the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPCL, and five other petroleum marketing companies: AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

Dangote Refinery had sought to nullify the import licences issued by the NMDPRA to these companies, arguing that they were for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products. The company also sought N100 billion in damages from the NMDPRA for continuing to issue these licences.

In a related development, NNPCL has revealed plans to increase its stake in the Dangote Refinery to 20%.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, made this announcement at the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC). Ojulari also stated that the NNPCL is improving transparency about its performance in preparation for a long-awaited Initial Public Offering (IPO), which is mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“We have begun to publish our monthly performance since May this year and that has continued,” Ojulari said, though he did not provide a specific timeline for the IPO.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in Edo State in support of the Dangote Refinery.

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) led demonstrators through the streets of Benin City, demanding that the government protect the refinery, which they described as a “national strategic asset.”

The protesters, led by National President Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, alleged that actors within labour unions and the oil marketers’ association (DAPMAN) were aligned with fuel importation cartels. They called on the Federal Government to ensure 100% crude oil supply is allocated to the Dangote Refinery.

“If we feed the refinery fully, it will crash fuel prices, strengthen the Naira, and stop the bleeding of foreign exchange,” Oghayan stated. The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt all fuel importation entirely and treat any sabotage against the refinery as “economic terrorism.”The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the N100 billion lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other parties concerning a dispute over fuel import licences.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the ruling, dismissing the case after the defendants made an oral application. This came in response to Dangote Refinery’s lawyer, C. O. Adegbe, applying to withdraw the suit.

The defendants in the case included the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPCL, and five other petroleum marketing companies: AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

Dangote Refinery had sought to nullify the import licences issued by the NMDPRA to these companies, arguing that they were for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products. The company also sought N100 billion in damages from the NMDPRA for continuing to issue these licences.

In a related development, NNPCL has revealed plans to increase its stake in the Dangote Refinery to 20%.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, made this announcement at the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC). Ojulari also stated that the NNPCL is improving transparency about its performance in preparation for a long-awaited Initial Public Offering (IPO), which is mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“We have begun to publish our monthly performance since May this year and that has continued,” Ojulari said, though he did not provide a specific timeline for the IPO.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in Edo State in support of the Dangote Refinery.

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) led demonstrators through the streets of Benin City, demanding that the government protect the refinery, which they described as a “national strategic asset.”

The protesters, led by National President Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, alleged that actors within labour unions and the oil marketers’ association (DAPMAN) were aligned with fuel importation cartels. They called on the Federal Government to ensure 100% crude oil supply is allocated to the Dangote Refinery.

“If we feed the refinery fully, it will crash fuel prices, strengthen the Naira, and stop the bleeding of foreign exchange,” Oghayan stated. The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt all fuel importation entirely and treat any sabotage against the refinery as “economic terrorism.”