The CEO of Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, Matrix Energy Group, and a member Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been exposed as a major importer of petrol from Malta as well as Russia
Recall that recently Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery alleged that some personnel of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, oil traders, and terminals have opened a blending plant in Malta.
An oil blending plant has no refining capability but can be used to blend re-refined oil (a used motor oil that has been treated to remove dirt, fuel, and water) with additives to create finished lubricant products.
The billionaire said the areas of the blending plants are known.
“Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened a blending plant somewhere off Malta,” the chairman said.
“We all know these areas. We know what they are doing.”
In 2023, Nigeria’s petroleum importation from Malta surged significantly to $2.8 billion, compared to zero between 2017 and 2022, and a mere $13.32 million in 2016.
Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, immediately denied Dangote’s claim, saying he did not have interest in any plant in Malta.
However, new findings by TheCable have now revealed the identity of one of the biggest importers via the tiny European country.
He is Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, owner of Matrix Energy and member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC).
In an interview with TheCable, however, Aliu strenuously denied any wrongdoing in his business practices and promised a full response to the newspaper’s questions.
In July 2024 alone, over 200,000 tonnes of petrol from Malta were discharged into the Matrix jetty in Warri, Delta state, according to an insider who shared confidential documents with TheCable.
“This represents about 25 percent of Nigeria’s monthly PMS consumption going to a relatively small player with only 150 retail stations,” the insider said.
The insider said Aliu is also leveraging his close relations with the top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to secure crude oil cargoes from the national oil company for his company.
“Crude cargoes are discretionarily allocated to Matrix Energy by the NNPC monthly,” the person familiar with the company’s operations said.
