Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator has approved petrol import permits totalling 830,000 metric tonnes for the fourth quarter of 2026, despite an ongoing legal challenge by Dangote Refinery over the continued issuance of import licences.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) issued the approvals on 18 September to six companies: Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Gas, and Bono Energy.
The permits cover petrol imports scheduled for the final quarter of the year, according to details of the approvals.
The development comes as Dangote Refinery continues its legal challenge against the regulator’s decision to grant import licences to oil marketers.
The refinery’s case is scheduled to come up for further hearing on 7 October.
Dangote Refinery has previously argued that continued petrol imports undermine the government’s efforts to encourage domestic refining and could affect the viability of local refineries.
The NMDPRA and oil marketers have maintained that petrol imports remain necessary to safeguard supply and prevent shortages in the Nigerian market.
The latest approvals are therefore likely to intensify the debate over Nigeria’s petrol import policy as the country seeks to balance domestic refining capacity with uninterrupted fuel supply.
