It has been revealed that Nigeria’s petroleum importation from Malta increased significantly to around $2.8billion in 2023.
Nigeria remains the only oil-producing nation that still imports petroleum products .
Recently, Vice President Kashim Shettima, revealed that the country spend more than $25 billion on importation of refined petroleum products every year.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is the sole importer of petroleum products in the country.
TheCable reports that data from Trademap, a database on international trade statistics, between 2017 and 2022, revealed that there were no imports of the commodity from Malta — an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea.
However, the value of imported petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals was $13.32 million in 2016.
This represents a 20,921 percent increase compared to the amount ($2.8 billion) recorded in 2023, according to TheCable Index analysis.
The publication stated that further checks showed that the importation of petroleum products from Malta gulped $47.5 million in 2013. The amount increased to $59.98 million and $117.01 million in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Similar import figures were also shared on social media by StatiSense, a data company.
Recently, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, said some personnel of the NNPC Limited, oil traders and terminals have opened a blending plant in Malta.
“Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened a blending plant somewhere off Malta,” the billionaire had said.
“We all know these areas. We know what they are doing.”
In response to Dangote’s allegation, Mele Kyari, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NNPCL, urged Dangote to reveal the identity of officials of the corporation who own blending plant in Malta.
