Court dismisses FCCPC’s request to join Dangote refinery lawsuit

• The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed FCCPC’s request to be part of Dangote Refinery’s lawsuit against NNPC
• Dangote Refinery challenged the issuance of import licences by NMDPRA to NNPCL and other companies, claiming it could meet Nigeria’s petroleum needs
• The court allowed Dangote to amend the suit and dismissed NNPCL’s jurisdictional challenge, setting the case for further mention on March 6

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday March 18, dismissed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) request to be included in a lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery. 

The refinery is seeking to prevent the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil marketers from importing refined petroleum products into Nigeria.

Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that the dispute could be effectively resolved without the involvement of the FCCPC, which had sought to be a party in the suit. 

The judge specifically held that the commission was neither relevant nor necessary for the case and rejected its application.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, involves Dangote Refinery challenging the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for issuing import licences to NNPCL and other companies. 

Dangote argued that it has the capacity to meet Nigeria’s petroleum needs and sought the annulment of these licences, as well as N100bn in damages for the alleged violation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The FCCPC had argued that Dangote Refinery's move to dominate the petroleum industry could harm market competition and interfere with its regulatory mandate. 

However, Dangote opposed the FCCPC’s involvement, labelling it as an irrelevant party in a matter governed by the Petroleum Industry Act.

In a separate objection, NNPCL contested the suit, claiming that Dangote had filed against a non-existent entity and questioned the court’s jurisdiction. 

Justice Ekwo dismissed both the FCCPC’s application and NNPCL’s jurisdictional challenge, granting Dangote Refinery permission to amend the suit to reflect the correct name of the NNPCL.

The case has been adjourned to March 6 for further mention.

Africa’s largest refinery, Dangote, exports first PMS to Cameroon

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Dangote Refinery, in partnership with Neptune Oil, shipped Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to Cameroon. 

Dangote expressed that the achievement was made possible by the strategic alliance between the two companies, reinforcing their dedication to boosting Nigeria-Cameroon economic relations.