A new report has unveiled that Nigeria has imported fuel worth a staggering $2.25 billion from Malta over the last nine years. This revelation comes in the wake of recent accusations by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, alleging that officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) are operating blending plants in Malta.
According to data from Trade Map, Nigeria’s importation of petroleum oils derived from bituminous minerals saw a massive spike in 2023, reaching $2.8 billion. This represents a dramatic increase of 342 percent compared to the $47.5 million imported in 2013.
The breakdown of Nigeria’s fuel imports from Malta over the years is telling. In 2014, the country imported fuel worth $59.98 million. This figure doubled to $117.01 million in 2015, before dropping sharply to $13.32 million in 2016. Notably, from 2017 to 2022, Nigeria did not import any fuel from Malta. However, the situation changed drastically in 2023 with an import surge valued at $2.08 billion.
Dangote has pointed fingers at certain NNPC officials, suggesting that they might own blending plants in Malta. Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding his $20 billion refinery, Dangote stated, “Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people, and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing.”
However, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, has categorically denied these allegations. He asserted that he does not own any blending plant, either directly or by proxy, anywhere in the world. Kyari clarified, “I do not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world except for a local mini-agric venture, neither am I aware of any employee of the NNPC that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.”
This controversy escalated after Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, claimed that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had a higher sulphur content than imported diesel. He further suggested that Nigeria would continue to import fuel to prevent a Dangote monopoly. Dangote has dismissed these allegations, calling them an attempt to undermine his refinery’s reputation.
