Lagos, Nigeria – Dangote Petroleum Refinery has formally withdrawn its N100 billion lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and two other firms, AYM Shafa Limited and A.A. Rano Limited, court documents reveal.
The refinery’s lead counsel, Ogwu James Onoja SAN, filed the notice of discontinuance at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 28, effectively ending the legal action marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024. The court filing stated simply: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.”
No reasons were provided for the sudden withdrawal, and neither Dangote Refinery nor the defendants have confirmed whether an out-of-court settlement was reached. Legal analysts suggest the move could signal behind-the-scenes negotiations between Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and state oil firm NNPC regarding petroleum supply agreements.
The now-abandoned lawsuit had been closely watched by industry observers, coming just months after the $20 billion refinery began operations. The dispute’s resolution removes a potential obstacle to cooperation between Nigeria’s largest private refinery and the national oil company at a critical time for the country’s energy sector.
Market watchers await official statements from the parties involved to clarify whether this development will lead to enhanced collaboration in Nigeria’s push for energy self-sufficiency. The refinery, which aims to meet 100% of Nigeria’s refined petroleum needs, remains central to government plans to end fuel imports.
