The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has told the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE are sold at “significantly high and fluctuating market prices”, warning that granting the refinery’s requests could hand it monopoly control of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The national oil company stated this in a counter-affidavit in opposition to Dangote refinery’s originating summons in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/857/2026 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division.
Similarly, marketers under the aegis of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria supported the NNPC, saying competition must be allowed in the petroleum sector to prevent what it called price exploitation, saying multiple sources privy would bring about a reduction in fuel prices.
In the counter-affidavit, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, the NNPC asked the court to dismiss or strike out the suit on grounds that it was incompetent, premature, disclosed no cause of action, and constituted an abuse of court process.
Dangote tackles importers
The Dangote refinery had challenged the issuance of petrol import licences to marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The NMDPRA recently approved licences for the importation of over 700,000 metric tonnes of petrol despite claims that the Dangote refinery now supplies more than 90 per cent of the nation’s daily PMS consumption.
