FG Withdraws Appeal in Dangote Refinery N100bn Import License Case

FG has withdrawn appeal in Dangote Refinery N100bn Import License Case.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government through the the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has withdrawn its appeal challenging Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE’s N100 billion import license case.

Court filings seen by Nairametrics confirm that the Commission, through its counsel Olanrewaju Osinaike, filed a notice of withdrawal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on August 26, 2025.

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The FCCPC said its decision followed Dangote Refinery’s earlier withdrawal of the original suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, which formed the basis of the appeal. At the hearing, the Appeal Court panel accepted the withdrawal after no objections were raised by the respondents, which included NNPCL, NMDPRA, Matrix Petroleum, A.A. Rano, and others.

Legal experts say the development is a “win for competition,” as the refinery’s import license case could have restricted market entry and given Dangote a dominant market share.

Barrister Oladipupo Ige told Nairametrics that while perfect competition is difficult to achieve, the withdrawal ensures more fairness and prevents possible monopolistic practices in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The case stemmed from Dangote’s July 2025 lawsuit seeking to nullify import licenses issued to some oil firms by the NMDPRA. The FCCPC attempted to join the matter, arguing it concerned competition and monopoly, but its application was dismissed by Justice Inyang Ekwo.

With both the refinery and FCCPC discontinuing their legal battles, industry watchers believe the decision opens the door for broader participation in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.