Three major oil marketers—Matrix Energy, AA Rano, and AYM Shafa—have applied to join the fresh N100 billion import licence suit filed by Dangote Refinery against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
This is according to their Motion on Notice for joinder dated June 16, 2026, exclusively obtained by Nairametrics.
Nairametrics reports that Dangote Petroleum Refinery filed a fresh lawsuit seeking to void all import licences issued or renewed by the AGF or the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The refinery is also asking the court to “seal off all tank farms, storage facilities, warehouses and stations” used by the licence holders to store imported petroleum products, where, according to the refinery, Nigeria is not experiencing a petroleum supply shortfall.
In the pending case seen by Nairametrics, the refinery listed the AGF as the defendant, thereby reigniting tensions over petrol importation in Nigeria.
What they are saying
In their motion, filed by Ahmed Raji, SAN, and Sir Chris Ekemezie, the trio seeks an order joining them as defendants, being “necessary parties,” arguing that without them, all the issues in the pending case cannot be effectively and completely determined.
The applicants argued that they, along with other licensed major oil marketers in Nigeria, have invested more than $20 billion in infrastructure, logistics, and retail networks to support the smooth operation of their licensed petroleum products businesses.
They maintained that they are licensed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to import and distribute petroleum products into Nigeria and have been doing so for more than two decades, long before “Dangote Refinery’s foray into the said sector.”
The applicants alleged that since Dangote Refinery commenced operations, it has championed calls for the cessation of petroleum product imports into Nigeria, citing calls by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, for the inclusion of refined petroleum products on the list of items banned under the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” policy.
The applicants further alleged that, through the pending action, the plaintiff seeks to force its competitors out of business and entrench a monopoly, which, according to them, is expressly prohibited by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
They also argued that, should the refinery’s prayers be granted, the consequences for their businesses, employees, the oil and gas industry, and the Nigerian economy at large would be unquantified.
The applicants further urged the court to hold that the instant suit amounts to an abuse of court process in view of the refinery’s earlier import licence suit, which was previously dismissed by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
More insights
Following a review of associated court documents, Nairametrics reports that in April 2026, the refinery filed an ex parte motion seeking an interim injunction restraining the AGF and other government agencies, particularly the NMDPRA, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), from issuing or renewing import licences to any person or company for the importation of petroleum products pending the determination of its Motion on Notice.
However, the trial court, presided over by Justice C. J. Aneke, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the Motion on Notice, which was filed simultaneously with the ex parte application.
In the refinery’s Motion on Notice, it accused the NMDPRA of proceeding to issue import licences in what it described as an “active breach of the orders of the court.”
Nairametrics reports that the matter has been adjourned until October 7, 2026.
What you should know
The latest legal move comes after recent reports from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that Nigeria’s petrol imports dropped sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as supply from local refineries climbed to about 3.18 billion litres.
Dangote Refinery argued in its fresh court filing that the continued issuance of import licences contravenes Nigerian law, which, according to the company, permits fuel imports only when local supply is insufficient to meet demand.
This is not the first time Dangote Refinery has challenged fuel import licences issued by the NMDPRA.
In 2025, the refinery filed a similar suit asking a Nigerian court to nullify fuel import licences granted to NNPC Ltd, AYM Shafa Ltd, AA Rano Ltd, T. Time Petroleum Ltd, 2015 Petroleum Ltd, and Matrix Petroleum Services Ltd.
In that earlier case, Africa’s largest refinery also sought N100 billion in damages.
However, in July 2025, Dangote Refinery unexpectedly withdrew the lawsuit, telling the court: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.”
Nigeria has historically depended heavily on imported petrol because of the poor performance of state-owned refineries over several decades.
However, the emergence of Dangote Refinery, widely regarded as Africa’s largest single-train refinery, has significantly altered the country’s fuel supply dynamics.
Recent data analysed by Nairametrics showed that petrol imports fell to about 965.52 million litres in the first quarter of 2026, down from an estimated 2.43 billion litres recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, representing a steep 60.2% year-on-year decline.
At the same time, supply from local refineries rose from 1.996 billion litres in Q1 2025 to 3.179 billion litres in Q1 2026, marking a 59.2% increase.
The figures showed that domestic refineries accounted for roughly 76.7% of Nigeria’s total petrol supply in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 45.2% in the corresponding period of 2025. Nairametrics.
