Fuel Imports: We’re Ready For Court Cases — Dangote

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said he is prepared to confront legal challenges involving his businesses, amid an ongoing dispute over fuel imports and domestic refining.

Dangote spoke during a fireside chat at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya, where he discussed the group’s investment plans across Africa, including a proposed refinery in Lamu County.

His comments came as Dangote Petroleum Refinery continues its legal challenge against the issuance and renewal of petrol import licences to oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The dispute has intensified following a recent Federal High Court ruling in Abuja directing the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to continue granting and renewing petroleum products import licences.

The ruling has opened a fresh legal dimension to the disagreement, with Dangote Refinery maintaining a separate case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The Lagos case, which is scheduled for further hearing on October 7, concerns the continued issuance of fuel import licences to NNPC and several petroleum marketers.

Dangote said he was not discouraged by the legal challenges facing his businesses, describing court cases as part of doing business in Africa.

“Anyone who wants to cause trouble, we are ready for them,” he said.

The businessman also spoke about his plans to broaden ownership of his businesses, saying he was willing to reduce his stake in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to 25 per cent as more Africans acquire shares in the company.

Meanwhile, the Dangote Group is pursuing plans to build a 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya, designed to replicate the Dangote refinery in Nigeria.

The project is estimated to cost between $15 billion and $16 billion and is expected to be completed by 2030.

However, the planned Kenyan refinery is also facing a legal challenge. A Malindi Environment and Land Court ordered parties to maintain the existing situation on the disputed land pending a hearing scheduled for October 14.

The case was filed by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim that the land earmarked for the project is ancestral property belonging to their communities.

Dangote expressed confidence that the Kenyan project would proceed despite the dispute.

The developments come as Dangote expands his group’s investments across Africa while navigating regulatory and legal challenges surrounding its refining operations and proposed projects.