The Federal High Court in Abuja’s order directing the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to continue granting and renewing petroleum products import licences has opened a fresh battle over fuel imports as domestic refining capacity expands.
The ruling has put the court’s decision in Abuja alongside a pending suit by Dangote Petroleum Refinery at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where the refinery is challenging the continued issuance and renewal of petroleum product import licences.
While petroleum marketers have welcomed the Abuja judgment and called for continued access to import licences, the development has also renewed debate over whether domestic refineries should be protected from import competition and whether the Petroleum Industry Act provides an adequate framework for the changing market.
The marketers, under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said competition between local refiners and importers could improve petrol availability and affordability for Nigerians.
This follows the issuance of import licences that have allowed the importation of an average of 95.7 million litres of petrol per day, translating to a total of 23.2 billion litres between January and August 2026.