BREAKING: Court Strikes Out FCCPC’s Application in Dangote Refinery’s N100bn Import License Dispute

• Court Dismisses FCCPC’s Request – Judge rules FCCPC irrelevant in Dangote Refinery’s N100bn lawsuit.
• Dangote Challenges Import Licenses – Seeks to void permits issued to rival oil firms.
• Next Hearing on May 6 – Court adjourns for Dangote’s amended case.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) request to join and challenge Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE’s N100 billion import license lawsuit.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled on Tuesday, rejecting FCCPC’s bid to join and prove Dangote’s alleged attempt to create a monopoly in the oil and gas sector.

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The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, aims to invalidate import licenses issued to some Nigerian oil companies by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, A.A. Rano Limited, and others.

FCCPC had argued that the case could lead to anti-competition practices benefiting Dangote Refinery, but Dangote’s legal team countered that the refinery’s goal was to enhance local refining of petroleum products and that the FCCPC had no authority to impose its regulations on the case.

The court, in its ruling, determined that FCCPC’s involvement was irrelevant to the case, stating, “I do not find any ground or substance that makes FCCPC relevant in this case.”

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The application was deemed “unmeritorious,” and the judge dismissed it, adjourning the case to May 6, 2025, for further proceedings.

The ruling follows earlier decisions, including the dismissal of NNPCL’s objection to Dangote’s lawsuit. The case remains a significant point of contention, with Dangote’s refinery at the center of ongoing disputes in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

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