Dangote Refinery Accuses FG of Sabotage in Fresh Court Battle Over Fuel Imports

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has taken the Federal Government and several petroleum agencies to court, alleging deliberate actions aimed at frustrating its operations and investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

In court filings before the Federal High Court in Lagos, the refinery claimed that government agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), have failed to provide adequate crude oil supplies while continuing to issue fuel import licences to marketers despite local refining capacity.

According to the refinery, it currently receives only a fraction of the crude oil needed for full operations, forcing it to source additional supplies from international traders at higher costs. The company argued that these actions have created an unfavourable business environment and amount to sabotage of its multi-billion-dollar investment.

The refinery is seeking legal intervention to halt the issuance and renewal of fuel import licences, maintaining that such approvals contradict the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act and undermine local refining efforts.

However, the NNPC has strongly denied the allegations, insisting that it has not sabotaged the refinery or deliberately withheld crude oil supplies. The state-owned oil company also argued that restricting imports could create supply challenges, reduce competition, and threaten national energy security.

The legal battle marks the latest chapter in ongoing tensions between the Dangote Refinery and stakeholders in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, as debates continue over fuel imports, market competition, and the future of domestic refining.