Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has formally withdrawn its N100 billion lawsuit against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), and five other petroleum firms.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024 on September 6, 2024, was discontinued on Monday, July 28, according to a notice of discontinuance submitted by the refinery’s legal team.
Signed by Ogwu Onoja (SAN), counsel to the plaintiff, the notice reads: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.”
Other defendants in the case included Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, and 2015 Petroleum Limited.
Dangote Refinery had sought the court’s declaration that the NMDPRA violated Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by granting licences for the importation of petroleum products, a move the company claimed undermined its operations. The refinery further demanded N100 billion in damages, citing losses incurred due to what it described as unfair regulatory practices.
The lawsuit came months after Dangote Refinery began the sale of petroleum products in September 2024, marking a key milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuel.
While no official reason has been given for the sudden withdrawal of the legal action, industry analysts view the move as a potential step toward fostering regulatory harmony and promoting collaboration within the downstream sector.
The discontinuance also coincides with a noticeable drop in fuel imports in recent months, suggesting increased uptake of locally refined products as Dangote’s operations scale up.
As of press time, neither Dangote Group nor the NMDPRA had issued an official statement regarding the development.
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