Fresh data have emerged that Nigeria imported fuel worth $2.25bn from Malta in nine years.
The information emerged following allegations by the founder of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited own blending plants in Malta.
An oil blending plant has no refining capability, but can be used to blend re-refined oil (a used motor oil that has been treated to remove dirt, fuel, and water) with additives to create finished lubricant products.
According to information on Trade Map, Nigeria imported petroleum oils obtained from bituminous minerals worth $2.8bn 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.
The development indicated that the value of Nigeria’s petroleum imports from Malta jumped 43 times in 10 years, reaching $2.08 billion in 2023 from $47.5 million in 2013.
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.”
However, while reacting, Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of NNPCL, denied owning a blending plant, except a local mini agriculture venture. He also denied knowing of any NNPC employee involved in such.
“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.
He added that the blending plant in Malta or any part of the world does not influence NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions.
However, he vowed to ensure sanctions against any NNPC staff member involved in it.
“For further assurance, our compliance sanction grid shall apply to any NNPC employee who is established to be involved in doing so if availed and I strongly recommend that such individuals be declared public and be made known to relevant government security agencies for necessary actions in view of the grave implications for national energy security,” he concluded.
Dangote has been speaking up following allegations by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, 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.
