Nigeria's Malta Fuel Imports Soar 342% to $2.08bn

Malta fuel imports to Nigeria jump 342% to $2.08bn...

NNPCL CEO Mele Kyari denies allegations of operating blending plants in Malta or anywhere globally, responding to claims made by Aliko Dangote.

A staggering 342% increase in Nigeria's petroleum product imports from Malta has been recorded in 2023, reaching a whopping $2.08 billion. This surge comes amidst the heated dispute between Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, and Nigeria's oil and gas regulators.

Dangote recently alleged that officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have a vested interest in blending plants located in Malta. This claim has sparked intense scrutiny, with new data from Trade Map revealing a 43-fold increase in Nigeria's imports from Malta.

According to Trade Map, an international trade statistics database, Nigeria's imports of petroleum oils and bituminous minerals from Malta skyrocketed to $2.08 billion in 2023, up from a mere $47.5 million in 2013. This dramatic rise has raised eyebrows, especially in light of Dangote's accusations.

Nigeria's petroleum imports from Malta fluctuated between 2013 and 2016, peaking at $117.01 million in 2015 before plummeting to $13.32 million in 2016. Following a six-year hiatus from 2017 to 2022, where no petroleum imports were recorded from Malta, the country's imports surprisingly surged to $2.08 billion in 2023.

In response to allegations made by Aliko Dangote, Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has issued a statement addressing the claims. Dangote had accused NNPCL officials of owning blending plants in Malta, prompting Kyari's response amidst the controversy surrounding Nigeria's petroleum imports.

During a session at the House of Representatives on Monday, July 22, Dangote had stated: “Some of the terminals, some of the NNPCL people, and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing.”

On Tuesday, July 23, Mele Kyari, CEO of NNPCL, took to social media to deny allegations of operating blending plants, stating that he does not own or operate any blending facilities worldwide and is not aware of any NNPCL staff engaging in such activities globally.