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Dangote Refinery had accused NMDPRA of violating the Petroleum Industry Act by issuing import licences.
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Suit filed in 2024 at the Federal High Court Abuja has now been discontinued.
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Refinery’s decision comes amid decline in petrol imports and rise in domestic supply.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has officially withdrawn its N100 billion lawsuit against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited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 oil marketing firms over the alleged illegal issuance of petroleum import licences.
Filed in September 2024 with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, the refinery had demanded the court to declare the import licences null and sought N100 billion in damages.
However, a notice of discontinuance dated July 28, 2025, and signed by the refinery’s counsel, Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN), has now been submitted to the court.
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“Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith,” the court filing read.
Defendants in the suit included the NMDPRA, NNPC Ltd, and five petroleum marketing firms — AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
The Dangote Refinery had challenged the authority of NMDPRA to grant import licences under Section 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), claiming it undermined the refinery’s domestic supply efforts and violated existing regulations.
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The lawsuit withdrawal comes months after the refinery commenced large-scale sales of refined petroleum products in September 2024. Since then, Nigeria’s petrol imports have significantly declined, boosting Dangote’s market share and transforming the nation into a more self-reliant energy player.
As of press time, neither Dangote Group nor the NMDPRA has issued a formal public comment on the reason for the case withdrawal.
