Dangote Petroleum Refinery has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja for permission to challenge a Federal High Court judgment directing the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to continue issuing petroleum product import licences to Matrix Energy, AA Rano and AYM Shafa, even as the three marketers feature on the refinery’s newly released list of 37 approved consortium buyers for petrol supply.
According to Nairametrics, the refinery filed a motion on notice on October 6, seeking leave to appeal as an interested party against the September 28 judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1363/2026. The application comes amid an ongoing dispute over import licensing and the role of domestic refining in Nigeria’s deregulated downstream petroleum market.
In its judgment, the Federal High Court held that the NMDPRA acted contrary to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by refusing to issue import licences to Matrix Energy, AA Rano and AYM Shafa. The court ruled that the law does not prohibit petroleum product imports or prevent the regulator from licensing eligible importers and renewing their licences.
Dangote Refinery is seeking permission to challenge the decision, which requires the regulator to continue granting licences in accordance with applicable laws. The Court of Appeal’s consideration of the application will determine whether the refinery can formally contest the ruling as an interested party.
However, amid the legal dispute, Dangote Refinery has included Matrix Energy, AA Rano and A.Y.M. Shafa among the 37 approved consortium marketers designated to purchase Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from its facility. Petroleumprice.ng reported on October 9 that the refinery had released the list and would supply petrol exclusively through the approved marketers, with bulk purchase contracts issued to the listed companies.
The arrangement places the three marketers among the refinery’s authorised petrol buyers even as the court proceedings over their import licences continue. Other companies on the list include NNPC Retail, NIPCO, Ardova, Rainoil, MRS Oil Nigeria, Pinnacle, BOVAS, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria, Conoil, Techno Oil, Sahara and Integrated Oil and Gas.
The legal challenge forms part of Dangote Refinery’s wider opposition to continued fuel import licensing. The refinery has argued that imports should be allowed when domestic production cannot meet national demand, maintaining that continued licensing could undermine local refining. However, the September judgment affirmed the regulator’s obligation to issue licences to eligible marketers under the existing legal framework.
Data from the NMDPRA showed that petrol imports fell sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as supplies from domestic refineries increased to about 3.18 billion litres. The shift highlights the growing contribution of local refining to Nigeria’s petrol supply, although the dispute over import licences remains unresolved.
Matrix Energy, AA Rano and AYM Shafa are also seeking to join a separate ₦100 billion suit filed by Dangote Refinery against the Attorney General of the Federation at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the continued issuance of import licences. That case remains pending.
Dangote Refinery previously challenged import licences issued to NNPC Ltd, AYM Shafa, AA Rano, T. Time Petroleum, 2015 Petroleum and Matrix Petroleum Services in a 2025 lawsuit. The refinery withdrew the case in July 2025, discontinuing proceedings against the defendants.
The latest application comes as the refinery expands its approved distribution network through the 37 consortium marketers, including the three companies whose import licensing rights were upheld by the Federal High Court on September 28. The refinery is now seeking permission to challenge that judgment at the Court of Appeal.