Alhaji Aliko Dangote
Barely few days after Alhaji Aliko Dangote made an anger-laden outpouring on the frustrations coming from the NNPCL to his new refinery that some officials of the corporation are linked to some crude oil blending plants in Malta, data released by Statisense on Thursday and fuel import data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have given solid credence to support Dangote’s allegation.
The Statisense data showed that Nigeria’s petroleum products import from Malta increased by 342% in 2023 to $2.08 billion.
Statisense disclosed on its X account outlining Nigeria’s petroleum imports in the last 10 years from 2013- 2023.
The data synchronized with that of Trade Map, a global database on International trade.
Further analysis of the data showed that from 2013-2016, Nigeria’s exports from the South European island of Malta stood at around $237.81 million.
However, from 2017-2022, Nigeria did not import any petrol products from Malta.
The 2023 Nigeria’s petroleum products import from Malta represents 342% of the $47.5 million import recorded in 2013.
Nigeria’s imports from Malta stood at $2.25 billion in the same period, according to the United Nations Comtrade database on international trade.
Further insights from the National Bureau of Statistics data in the third Quarter of 2023 showed Malta was among the top five import destinations for Nigeria.
In Q3 alone, Nigeria’s import worth from Malta alone stood at N561.37 billion.
However, in Q1 and 2, Malta was not among the top five import destinations for Nigeria.
The data comes amid Chairman Dangote’s allegation on Monday that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and oil traders owe blending plants in Malta from where they import substandard products into Nigeria.
Business Hilights recalls that Dangote had alleged that “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”.
