‘May Dangote win’: Reactions as NNPC accuses Dangote Refinery of attempting to monopolise fuel market

Nigerians on social media have continued to react differently to accusations by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) that Dangote Petroleum Refinery is attempting to monopolise Nigeria’s fuel market through lawsuits challenging import licences granted to rival marketers.

NNPC, in a proposed defence filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, argued that granting Dangote’s request to void or restrict fuel import permits would undermine competition and expose Nigeria to supply disruptions, price instability, and threats to national energy security.

The filing was in response to a suit instituted by Dangote Petroleum Refinery against the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The legal dispute has since prompted the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to apply to join the case.

The court action came less than a month after Dangote Petroleum Refinery filed a fresh lawsuit against Nigeria’s Attorney-General, seeking to overturn fuel import licences granted to oil marketers and the NNPC.

The development has, however, continued to generate mixed reactions on social media, particularly X.

While some netizens criticised NNPC over the development and threw their weight behind Dangote, others insist that there are many questions left unanswered by Dangote Refinery, NNPC, and NMDPRA.

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Reacting to the development on Saturday, an X user @charlogbish wrote, “May Dangote WIN. The marketers have hindered our collective progress over the years. They had better come together & build Refineries. There shouldn’t be any reason to spend a dollar on fuel importation. Dangote supply is ok & it saturates Nigeria enough please!”

Another user, @harrisomania, tweeted, “@DangoteGroup is performing even beyond expectations. It’s an open market please, let @nnpclimited compete as a serious company and stop crying as a baby.”

“NNPC should build its own refinery instead of condemning Dangote. My question is can NNPC tell Nigerians how much they spend on Dead refinery that is causing the country big shame?” @AbualoyNi opined.

@morojk90 tweeted in support of Dangote, “@nnpclimited  please have some shame and shit it,You have 4 refineries none of which is working. If you are concerned about dangote why not make your refinery works? Why not build a new one even? ABI Una no dey think for nnpc?”

Also reacting, @koyedele2 wrote, “Nigeria cannot afford to continue importing what it can locally produce, it drains our economy. @nnpclimited should build or re-activate its refineries rather than resort to importation.”

In his own submission, @airmanchairman tweeted, “The lawsuit itself underscores both NNPC’s inability & unwillingness to take the national crude oil resource beyond its raw stage & up the value chain to the country’s greater advantage. Importation as a total addiction, the true cause of the Naira’s perennially declining value.” @KayodeAbraham12 wrote, “Bunch of rogues all over the place playing and toying with the psyches of so naive, innocent and ignorant Nigerians. There are many questions left unanswered.”