Nigeria’s imports from Malta reached a record high of N766.81bn in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest foreign trade statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics.
The figure marked a sharp rise, placing Malta as Nigeria’s fifth-largest import partner for the period, accounting for 5.23 per cent of the country’s total imports, valued at N14.67tn.
However, the NBS report did not specify the exact products imported from Malta, but the surge has raised eyebrows following earlier accusations from Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Dangote had alleged that a blending facility in Malta was undermining Nigeria’s oil production potential, further fueling controversy over the spike in imports from the small Southern European country.
The PUNCH observed that there had been no recorded imports from Malta in the first two quarters of 2024. However, in Q3 2024, Malta emerged as a significant trading partner for Nigeria. The report read,
“Analysis by trading partners reveals that imports from China were valued at N3,574.79 billion, representing 24.36 per cent of total imports.”
