By Ayomide Otitoju
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has rejected a lawsuit filed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery seeking to invalidate fuel import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
Dangote Refinery had approached the Federal High Court in Lagos asking it to void import permits granted to marketers, arguing that such licences undermine local refining and contradict the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The refinery had earlier challenged the regulator over similar approvals but later withdrew the case.
However, in a statement on Sunday, DAPPMAN insisted that the licences were lawful instruments issued under the PIA to ensure fuel supply security and should not be invalidated.
The association said its members had invested billions of naira in depot infrastructure, logistics, and compliance systems based on the validity of the licences, warning that any attempt to nullify them would destabilise Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
DAPPMAN argued that the regulator acted within its statutory mandate in issuing the permits, stressing that its primary responsibility is to guarantee uninterrupted fuel availability rather than protect the interests of any single refinery.
It also noted that the recent approvals, which include permits for the importation of over 600,000 metric tonnes of petrol, were necessary to sustain national supply.
While acknowledging Dangote Refinery’s right to seek legal redress, the marketers’ association rejected what it described as attempts to prioritise private commercial interests over regulatory authority and market stability.
DAPPMAN further warned against any move that could concentrate control of the downstream sector, insisting that Nigeria’s petroleum market operates on a multi-player structure that supports competition and consumer supply.
The group said it would engage legal counsel and make formal representations to relevant authorities, reiterating its commitment to protecting investments and ensuring continued fuel availability across the country.
