The Energy Watchdog has endorsed Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ application for permission to challenge a Federal High Court ruling that required the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to keep granting petroleum-product import permits to three leading oil marketing companies.
In a statement signed by Martins Tayo, the group said the appeal effort was needed to safeguard Nigeria’s local refining industry and lessen the country’s reliance on imported fuel.
Justice Inyang E. Ekwo issued the ruling on September 28, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1363/2026. The Federal High Court directed the NMDPRA to continue providing import licences to Matrix Energy, AA Rano and AYM Shafa.
The Energy Watchdog said the decision ran counter to the goals of the Petroleum Industry Act, or PIA, and could put investment in Nigerian refining capacity at risk.
“We unequivocally reject and condemn the lower court’s judgment,” the statement signed by Engr. Martins Tayo said. “It is seriously defective, ignores the plainly stated purpose of the Petroleum Industry Act, and fails to reflect Nigeria’s national interest in establishing a strong domestic refining sector.”
The organisation pointed to a reported reduction in petrol imports during the first quarter of 2026 and rising deliveries from Nigerian refineries, especially the Dangote plant, as signs that domestic processing capability was expanding.
It said maintaining import permits while local output is increasing could frustrate Nigeria’s pursuit of refined-product self-sufficiency and erode confidence among sector investors.
Dangote Refinery’s move to seek leave to appeal as an interested party was therefore timely, the group said, given the ruling’s possible consequences for the future of Nigeria’s downstream oil market.
“The ruling effectively gives judicial backing to continued fuel imports regardless of available domestic capacity,” Tayo said. “We reject it completely because it risks undoing the hard-earned progress achieved in recent years.”
The Energy Watchdog said the PIA was intended to stimulate investment in midstream and downstream petroleum infrastructure. It warned that leaving the judgment in place could discourage investors that have already committed significant funds to domestic refinery projects.
The group called on the Court of Appeal to allow Dangote Refinery to proceed with its appeal and to eventually overturn the Federal High Court order. It described the dispute as important for Nigeria’s energy security and for the growth of its refining industry.
“A ruling that compels the continued importation of petroleum products when domestic refineries are able to serve the market represents a setback for Nigeria,” the statement said. “We condemn the lower court decision in the strongest possible terms and fully back Dangote Refinery’s appeal.”
“The Court of Appeal must rectify this mistake and confirm that automatic import licensing is no longer the norm,” the statement added.
