A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the appointment of a liquidator for Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Limited after the firm failed to settle a $1.4 million debt arising from a project agreement.
The debt stems from a settlement arrangement between the construction company and Zutari Consulting Nigeria Ltd over an outstanding $1,257,592.83 linked to design and consultancy work executed on the Dangote Fertilizer Plant project in Lekki, Lagos.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in his ruling on Wednesday, agreed to Zutari Consulting’s application for a liquidator, noting that the court had given Dantata & Sawoe multiple opportunities to clear the debt but the company repeatedly failed to do so.
The court’s decision follows an earlier approval for the publication of a winding-up petition in two national newspapers.
Zutari Consulting, an engineering design and supervision firm, had carried out design components on the project after being subcontracted by Dantata & Sawoe in 2015. However, according to the firm, the construction company defaulted after the work was completed, leaving debts of $1.25 million, ZAR 2.13 million, and £4,364.38 unpaid.
The dispute was later taken to arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in London, where an award dated April 7, 2021, held Dantata & Sawoe liable.
Despite the arbitral decision, Dantata & Sawoe argued before the court that the petition lacked jurisdiction and disclosed that an appeal had been filed in the matter. The company also claimed it proposed paying 75 per cent of the outstanding amount, an offer Zutari rejected.
Justice Umar, however, noted that the case had been adjourned several times—including a 30-day extension granted in September 2024—to allow the parties resolve the issue, but Dantata & Sawoe continued to present excuses rather than make full payment.
The judge consequently named Joseph Abiolu, FCA, as the liquidator to begin winding-up proceedings against the company, citing Sections 571(d), 572, and 573(1)(b) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.
The case was adjourned until February 18, 2026, for the liquidator’s report.