court case (1).jpg

A Federal High Court in Abuja will hear NNPC’s objection to Dangote Refinery’s lawsuit over an oil import licence on February 5. The refinery seeks to nullify import licenses issued to oil firms, citing violations of the Petroleum Industry Act. The court directed Dangote to file a response within two days.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has set February 5 to hear the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited’s objection to a lawsuit filed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals over an oil import license dispute. The case, initiated by the Dangote refinery, seeks to nullify import licenses issued to NNPC and other firms, citing alleged violations of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

During Thursday’s hearing, Dangote’s counsel, George Ibrahim, sought an amendment to correct NNPC’s name in the suit. However, NNPC’s lawyer, Ademola Abimbola, opposed the request, arguing that the court must first rule on their preliminary objection.

Abimbola referenced a Supreme Court ruling to support NNPC’s stance, asserting that approving the amendment before addressing the objection could undermine their argument. The court directed Dangote refinery to file its response within two days, while NNPC was granted one day to reply.

The lawsuit, originally filed in September 2024, challenges the issuance of oil import licenses to NNPC and six other firms. Dangote Refinery argues that the regulatory authority failed to prioritize local refiners before allowing product imports, violating statutory responsibilities under the PIA.

While the refinery had indicated plans to withdraw the case in January 2025, the legal battle continues, with NNPC pushing for the suit’s dismissal. The court will now decide whether the case proceeds or if NNPC’s objection stands.