KEY POINTS
- DAPPMAN has vowed to support fuel marketers in defending import licences challenged in court by Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
- The association insists that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has legal backing under the Petroleum Industry Act to issue import licences for energy security.
- It warns that cancelling import licences could destabilise Nigeria’s fuel supply chain and undermine competition in the downstream petroleum sector.
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, has pledged full support for its members in the ongoing legal dispute involving the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and fuel import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The association said it would stand by marketers challenging the refinery’s lawsuit seeking to cancel import licences granted to operators in the downstream petroleum sector.
DAPPMAN made its position known in a statement posted on its official X handle, stressing that marketers would not accept attempts to dismantle their role in the industry through court actions.
DAPPMAN argued that while the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has the right to seek legal redress, no private operator should override the statutory powers of the regulatory authority responsible for ensuring fuel availability.
According to the association, the mandate of the NMDPRA includes issuing import licences whenever necessary to safeguard national energy security and prevent fuel shortages.
The group insisted that such regulatory decisions are consistent with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which empowers the authority to maintain stability in the downstream sector.
“We respect Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s right to pursue legal remedies. What we do not accept is the premise that a private refinery’s commercial interests should override a regulatory authority’s mandate to ensure adequate supply to Nigerian consumers,” the statement read.
Import Licences Described as Key to Fuel Supply Stability
DAPPMAN emphasised that fuel import licences are not mere administrative approvals but critical legal instruments that keep Nigeria’s fuel distribution system functioning.
The association warned that any attempt to revoke such licences could destabilise the downstream petroleum market and threaten supply security across the country.
It argued that Nigeria’s fuel system depends on a multi-player structure that includes importers, depot owners, and logistics operators, all of whom contribute to product availability.
“A lawsuit that seeks to reduce that field of players is ultimately a lawsuit against Nigerian consumers,” the association said.
DAPPMAN further stated that its members have invested billions of naira in depot infrastructure, logistics, and compliance systems based on the assumption that their licences are valid and protected under the law.
The association warned that any legal move to invalidate existing licences would introduce uncertainty into the downstream sector at a time when stability is crucial.
It added that the Petroleum Industry Act clearly allows the regulator to issue import licences when it deems it necessary, a provision it said has already been tested and upheld in court.
“The PIA is clear: import licences may be issued where the regulator determines it necessary. That determination has been made. It has been defended in court before. It should be defended again,” the statement added.
