A Nigerian court has directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to keep granting fuel import licences to three marketers on an ongoing basis, Channels Television reports. The marketers named in the order are Matrix, AA Rano and A.Y.M.
The ruling, reported on Monday, requires the regulator to continually issue the licences to the three companies rather than treat them as one-off approvals. According to Channels Television, the court's decision covers Matrix, AA Rano and A.Y.M specifically.
Reuters, also reporting on the case, described the outcome as an order telling the regulator to keep issuing fuel import licences to marketers. Business News Nigeria framed the same decision as a directive to keep the petrol import market open to the three firms.
The case centres on access to Nigeria's fuel import market, which the NMDPRA regulates. The regulator oversees licensing for companies seeking to bring petroleum products into the country. The court's instruction, as reported, means the three marketers should continue to receive those approvals.
Coverage of the ruling appeared across several outlets, including Channels Television, Reuters and Business News Nigeria, with Legit.ng also reporting on the licences. The reports focus on the three named companies and the regulator's obligation to keep issuing the licences.
What to watch next: whether the NMDPRA complies with the order and whether it appeals the decision.
