Dangote Drops Lawsuit Against NNPC, NMDPRA, Marketers

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has withdrawn its N100 billion lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and several oil marketers, which challenged the issuance of petroleum import licenses except in cases of product shortfall under the Petroleum Industry Act. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought to stop the issuance of these licenses and requested damages, with a hearing originally set for September. Dangote's legal counsel submitted the withdrawal notice without providing an official reason, and it remains unclear if the parties reached any settlement. Defendants may still seek actions regarding legal costs. The Federal Government has publicly praised Dangote Refinery for its impact on local engineering and human capital. Meanwhile, oil marketers argued that Dangote’s lawsuit could have created a monopoly harmful to Nigeria’s oil sector.