Nigeria imported $2.08 billion fuel from Malta alone in 2023
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Facts have begun to emerge on alleged ownership of blending plants in Malta by some Nigerians as report has shown that Africa’s biggest oil producer suddenly started massive importation of fuel from Malta, a small European country which according to World Bank, has a population of 531,113 as at 2022. The report showed that only last year Nigeria imported fuel worth a princely sum of $2.08 billion from Malta.
The report is coming a few days after the owner of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, alleged that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCLtd) have blending plants in Malta.
According to the report contained on Trade Map, Nigeria imported petroleum oils obtained from bituminous minerals worth $2.08billion in 2023, jumping by a 342 per cent increase from $47.5m in 2013.
Nigeria imported fuel worth $59.98m in 2014; $117.01m in 2015 and $13.32m in 2016.
It was observed that from 2017 to 2022, there was no fuel importation into Nigeria from Malta.
However, there was a geometric leap in 2023 when the country imported fuel worth $2.08bn.
Some Nigerians believe Dangote might be right when he said some NNPC personnel own blending plants in Malta.
Amid the crisis surrounding his $20bn refinery, Dangote had said, “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.”
But according to PUNCH report, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, denied owning a blending plant outside Nigeria.
Kyari, the report further noted, said he had been inundated with calls from family members and friends, asking if he truly owned a blending plant in Malta.
The NNPC helmsman said he does not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world, except for a local mini-agric venture.
He also said he is not aware of any employee of the NNPC that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
“I am inundated by enquiries from family members, friends, and associates on the public declaration by the President of Dangote Group that some NNPC workers have established a blending plant in Malta, thereby impeding procurements from local production of petroleum products.
“To clarify the allegations regarding the blending plant, 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.
Dangote has been speaking up following allegations by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had higher sulphur content than imported ones, a claim Dangote described as an attempt to demarket his refinery.
Ahmed had also said the country would continue to import fuel to stop the Dangote monopoly. Meanwhile, the government of Gabon has invited Dangote to kindly redirect the monopoly to Gabon as Nigeria isn’t interested.
Dangote also dared the NMDPRA chief on the quality of products refined in refinery and those imported when members of the House Representatives visited the refinery. Dangote urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to set up an independent committee to verify the quality of petrol available at filling stations.
He said: “I want you to set up a committee that will come with every representative headed by your chosen Honourable Members to come and lead in taking samples from filling stations because I must tell you today that all the test certificates that people are busy floating around, where are the labs?
“Even if they have the labs, I can tell you they are fake certificates.
“The real one that you now know that they are right is to take from the filling station and also come and take from our production line. Now, you will be able to tell Nigerians that this is it.”
