The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an objection raised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) in a N100 billion lawsuit filed by Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE. The case, which challenges the issuance of petroleum import licences, has been adjourned to May 6 for further proceedings.
Dangote Refinery initiated the suit against the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), alleging that the agency has continued to issue import licences to several oil companies despite the refinery’s ability to produce the required petroleum products locally. The companies named in the lawsuit include NNPC, Matrix Petroleum Services, A. A. Rano Limited, Aym Shafa Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, and 2015 Petroleum Limited.
The refinery argues that by issuing these licences, the NMDPRA is violating Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Dangote Refinery’s legal team, led by senior lawyer Ogwu Onoja (SAN), contends that import permits should only be granted in cases where there is a shortage of petroleum products in Nigeria. The refinery is also demanding N100 billion in damages, accusing the regulatory agency of failing to support local refineries as required by law.
NNPC, however, objected to the suit, requesting its dismissal on the basis that the court lacks jurisdiction to handle the matter. The company also asked to be removed from the case, arguing that the lawsuit was filed prematurely and did not establish a valid cause of action.
Additionally, NNPC pointed out that its name was incorrectly written as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited instead of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in the lawsuit. The company claimed that this error was significant enough to warrant its removal from the case.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, rejected NNPC’s objections. He ruled that the mistake in the company’s name was a minor error that did not affect its identity. The judge directed Dangote Refinery to amend its court filings to reflect the correct name of NNPC.
