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Oil Marketers and Dangote Battle in Court Over Import Licences

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Three oil marketers, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.

The marketers, in a joint counter affidavit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, and dated November 5, 2024, a response to an originating summon filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, argued that granting the application of refinery would spell doom for the country’s oil sector.

They emphasised that the plan to monopolise the oil sector is a recipe for disaster in the country.

Dangote refinery in its originating summon dated September 6, 2024, had sued Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited as 1st to 7th defendants respectively.

The refinery prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA was in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.

It stated that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.

It also urged the court to declare that NMDPRA is in violation of its statutory responsibilities under the PIA for not encouraging local refineries such as the company.

Shafa, A. A. Rano, and Matrix Petroleum, however, responded that Dangote refinery does not produce adequate petroleum products for the daily consumption of Nigerians.

They noted that the plaintiff had not placed anything before the court to prove the contrary.

They argued that they are well qualified and entitled to be issued an import licence by NMDPRA to import petroleum products.

They argued that they are well qualified and entitled to be issued an import licence by NMDPRA to import petroleum products in Nigeria within the meaning of Section 317(9) of the PIA.

They also noted that they are fully qualified for the issuance of the import licences issued to them by the 1st defendant, as they duly met all the legal requirements for the issuance of such import licences, before the same were issued to them.

“The import licences lawfully and validly issued to the defendants did not in any way whatsoever, cripple the plaintiff’s business or its refinery.

“The import licenses issued to the defendants by the 1st defendant are in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, and other relevant laws,” they contended.

They insisted that giving Dangote Refinery the power of monopoly in Nigeria’s petroleum industry as it sought in the instant suit, would kill competitive pricing of petroleum products in the country.

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Nigerian Lawmakers Demand Arrest of World Bank Official Calling for Reinstatement of Petroleum Import Licences

Declaring the unnamed World Bank official persona non grata, the Committee gave the Bank 30 days to issue a public retraction and written apology.

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The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has call for the dismissal and arrest of the World Bank official responsible for the April 7, 2026 Nigeria Development Update, which recommended the reinstatement of petroleum import licences.

The Committee described the recommendation as a reckless move capable of undermining Nigeria’s indigenous refining capacity.

In a formal resolution, the Committee condemned the World Bank report, which claimed that imported petroleum products are 12 percent cheaper than those from the Dangote Refinery.

It rejected the position as contrary to Nigeria’s national economic interest and an unacceptable interference in the country’s sovereign petroleum policy.

Declaring the unnamed World Bank official persona non grata, the Committee gave the Bank 30 days to issue a public retraction and written apology.

It further demanded that the staff member responsible for the report be relieved of their duties and subjected to investigation.

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Senate approves Tinubu’s $516.3m loan

The syndicated financing facility is being sought from Deutsche Bank, according to a letter of request Tinubu sent to the Senate last Thursday.

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The Senate has approved the $516.3 million loan requested by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The money will be used for the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway (Section One, Phase 1A and B).

The approval was given on Wednesday after the Senate considered the report of its Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.

The committee, chaired by Senator Magatagarda Wamakko, recommended the approval of the loan.

The syndicated financing facility is being sought from Deutsche Bank, according to a letter of request Tinubu sent to the Senate last Thursday.

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Ibukun Awosika resigns from Cadbury board

The resignation takes effect from May 1, 2026, according to a statement signed by the company secretary, Afolasade Olowe.

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Ibukun Awosika has resigned from the board of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, after more than 16 years of service.

The resignation takes effect from May 1, 2026, according to a statement signed by the company secretary, Afolasade Olowe.

The board expressed appreciation for her contributions since joining as a Non-Executive Director in October 2009 and noted that a replacement would be announced in due course.

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