A few days after the founder of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, alleged that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited have blending plants in Malta, indications have emerged that Nigeria imported fuel worth $2.25bn from the foreign country in nine years.

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.

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 the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, denied owning a blending plant outside Nigeria.

Kyari 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, 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.

PUNCH