Nigeria has recently witnessed a significant surge in fuel imports from Malta, with the value skyrocketing to $2.08 billion in 2023, a dramatic increase from negligible amounts in previous years. The development, revealed by Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has sparked widespread attention and controversy.
From 2017 to 2022, Nigeria imported no petroleum products from Malta, and in 2016, imports were a modest $13.32 million. The sharp rise in 2023 has raised eyebrows, leading to denials and clarifications from key industry figures.
Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), quickly refuted any suggestion that he or NNPC had interests in Maltese refineries. This denial came amid growing scrutiny over the substantial volume of fuel now entering Nigeria from the small European nation.
Further investigation has brought to light one of the major players in this fuel importation. Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, the owner of Matrix Energy and a member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), has been identified as a key figure in the Maltese fuel imports. Despite the revelations, Aliu has strongly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his business practices are above board. He promised a comprehensive response to the allegations in an interview with *TheCable*.
According to confidential documents reviewed by *TheCable*, Matrix Energy received over 200,000 tonnes of petrol from Malta in July 2024 alone. This substantial quantity represents about 25 percent of Nigeria’s monthly petrol consumption, a surprising allocation given that Matrix Energy operates only 150 retail stations nationwide.
An insider revealed that Matrix Energy has leveraged its close relationships with NNPCL’s top management to secure crude oil allocations, which are then traded by Gulf Transport & Trading (GTT), a company registered in the United Arab Emirates. These trades, particularly involving the new Utapate crude oil grade launched by NNPC in August 2024, reportedly yield significant profits with minimal effort.
Matrix Energy is also reported to be involved in the importation of diesel from Russia via Lome, Togo, and Malta. The diesel, often off-spec when exported from Russia, is allegedly blended with other components in Malta to meet lower quality standards before being shipped to Nigeria. This practice has raised concerns about the quality of fuel being sold to the Nigerian public, which could lead to frequent vehicle and equipment breakdowns.
Documents seen by *TheCable* indicate that the products from Malta are transported through intermediate ships and companies, such as Poly Pro Trading in Dubai. The latter’s listed office is reportedly just a business center without any physical presence, further complicating the trail of accountability.
As Malta becomes a hub for blending and transferring sanctioned Russian oil, the implications for Nigeria’s fuel quality and the ethics of its importation practices continue to unfold. The controversy highlights the need for greater transparency and regulation in Nigeria’s fuel importation processes.
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