Business
Court dismisses NNPCL’s objection to Dangote Refinery’s suit on import licence
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the objection raised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) against the competence of a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE (Dangote Refinery).
Dangote is seeking to void the licences issued by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to some oil marketing companies to import refined petroleum products.
In its objection, the NNPCL challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit and urged the court to strike out its name from the suit on the grounds that it was not properly identified by the plaintiff.
It argued that the name, “Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited,” being its registered name with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), is not the one and the same entity the second defendant sued but the “Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation”.
Ruling yesterday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that NNPCL’s objection was incompetent as it was filed in violation of Order 29 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules (FHCCPR), 2019.
Justice Ekwo also held that the NNPCL ought to have filed a defence in the form of a counter-affidavit to the plaintiff’s suit before raising an objection.
The judge averred that under the procedure in lieu of demurrer, any party is entitled to raise, by his pleading, any point of law, and that any point so raised may be disposed of by the trial court at trial or after the trial.
He explained that where a defendant seeks to challenge the jurisdiction of the court, it is the provision of Order 29 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules (FHCCPR), 2019, that would be applicable.Justice Ekwo added that the NNPCL failed to comply with the provision.
The judge held that the NNPCL, having not complied with the provisions of the FHCCPR 2019 could not be said to have filed a competent preliminary objection.
Business
BUA Foods target expansion into noodles industry
Rabiu described the expansion programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s industrial future, emphasising that the company’s growth ambitions are driven by a commitment to national development rather than scale alone.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu disclosed that it’s food arm – BUA Foods is going into new sectors such as instant noodles because “we see it as a very important sector because of its affordability and its accessibility.”
Rabiu made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday during the 5th Annual General Meeting of BUA Foods.
He also disclosed that as part of efforts to boost food sufficiency, “we are doubling our wheat milling capacity from over a million to over two million, wheat per annum. And that is huge.”
“We are also tripling the capacity of our edible oil business. In fact, we are setting up a brand new oil mill in Port Harcourt.
Rabiu described the expansion programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s industrial future, emphasising that the company’s growth ambitions are driven by a commitment to national development rather than scale alone.
“Our ambition has never been to become bigger simply for the sake of size. We are building scale because Nigeria needs strong indigenous companies capable of competing at the highest level, investing for the long term and creating lasting value,” he said.
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Business
IEA ratifies Nigeria as an Association Country
In response, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, said : “I am elated with the decision of the IEA Members to officially welcome Nigeria to the IEA Family as an Association country;
Photo: Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources ( Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo (left) and the IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, at the event. Credit: IEA
The Governing Board of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has unanimously agreed for Nigeria to join the IEA Family as an Association country.
“I am thrilled that Nigeria is joining the IEA – it is Africa’s most populous country and a major international energy player. Nigeria becoming part of the world’s energy authority marks a milestone for global energy governance. I am very thankful to President Tinubu and Minister Ekpo for their trust in the IEA,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
Emphasising that Nigeria is home to over 240 million people and one of Africa’s largest economies, Faith Birol acknowledged that Nigeria is a major producer of oil and natural gas and is one of the continent’s most dynamic renewable energy markets.
“As Nigeria works to strengthen energy security, support economic growth and expand energy access, deeper cooperation with the IEA will bring important benefits for both sides. We look forward to building on our already strong partnership and welcoming Nigeria to the IEA, ” he said
In response, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, said : “I am elated with the decision of the IEA Members to officially welcome Nigeria to the IEA Family as an Association country;
“It is an honour for Nigeria to join this leading energy agency and I will take this opportunity to encourage the African continent to embrace the IEA, as we all work together to achieve key development goals including universal energy access and industrialisation.”
The IEA Governing Board’s decision builds on a strong history of engagement and collaboration between Nigeria and the IEA since 2014.
In September 2025, the IEA, Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources and the African Energy Commission (AFREC) jointly convened a Regional Roundtable on “Turning Methane Pledges into Action” in Abuja, bringing together energy stakeholders from across the region to advance efforts to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector.
As an Association country, Nigeria and the IEA will work more closely across a wide range of energy issues, including on the Agency’s engagement in sub-Saharan Africa.
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