Nigeria’s Imports from Malta Surge from Zero to N1.03 Trillion in Just One Year

Nigeria’s import from Malta surged from zero to approximately N1.03 trillion in 2023, according to the latest foreign trade statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This sharp increase has sparked controversy, especially following allegations from Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, who accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited of operating a blending plant in Malta. Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, has refuted these claims.

The NBS data reveals that Nigeria’s total imports for 2023 amounted to N35.92 trillion, with imports from Malta accounting for 2.87% of this total. Additionally, Malta’s imports represented 8.41% of Nigeria’s total imports from Europe, which stood at N12.25 trillion for the same period.