Sayyu Dantata, founder and CEO of MRS Oil and Gas, has been identified as one of the key figures behind the recent importation of petroleum products into Nigeria from Malta.
Dantata, a prominent businessman and half-brother of Aliko Dangote, founder of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, is linked to the importation of fuel through the vessel ‘MT AETHER.’
According to a report by Daily Nigerian, documents obtained reveal that in February, MRS Oil imported unleaded petrol into Nigeria, loaded at the port of OPL MALTA.
The fuel import was confirmed in separate letters dated March 4, which were addressed to the CEOs of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The letter, signed by Moyosola Kuku, MRS Oil’s General Manager of Risk Management, detailed the purchase of 91,219.232 metric tons of unleaded petrol with a 91 Research Octane Number (RON) from PETROCAM DMCC. Unleaded petrol, often referred to as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), is a fuel type that has not been treated with a lead compound, which is traditionally used to improve vehicle efficiency and engine performance.
The 91 RON petrol is classified as premium petrol, offering greater resistance to detonation and engine knocking.
The letter reads, “We hereby confirm that MRS Oil and Gas Co. Ltd. purchased 91,219.232 Mt Vac of unleaded gasoline 91 Ron from PETROCAM DMCC, was loaded at the port of OPL Malta onto vessel MT AETHER with bill of lading dated 19/02/2024 as evidenced by the following documents attached, bill of lading, cargo manifest, certificate of origin, and certificate of quantity.
“In line with the February 2024 spot gasoline supply contract, we subsequently sold full cargo on board MT AETHER [91.219.232 MTV] to NNPC for delivery offshore Lagos.
“We remain at your disposal for any further information you might require.”
Also, in another letter dated March 4, sent to the managing director of NNPC Trading Limited, MRS Oil and Gas confirmed the sale of full cargo on board MT AETHER to Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited for delivery offshore Lagos.
The letter was titled ‘Confirmation of Sale of Cargo to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’.
The letter reads, “We MRS Oil and Gas Co. Ltd., hereby confirm that we sold full cargo on board MT AETHER (91,219.232 MTV) with bill of lading dated 19/02/2024 to NNPC for delivery offshore Lagos.
“We remain at your disposal for any further information you might require.”
In July, a dispute occurred between Dangote and regulators when Farouk Ahmed, the CEO of NMDPRA, said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, produce inferior products compared to the ones imported into the country.
On July 20, Dangote denied the allegations by testing diesel from his refinery when federal lawmakers visited the plant.
He also called for a probe into the allegations of the NMDPRA.
At the peak of the dispute, Dangote had revealed that some officials of NNPC and oil traders have blending plants in Malta, where they produce and import off-spec petroleum products that are brought to Nigeria for consumption.
Mele Kyari, the group CEO of NNPC, immediately denied Dangote’s claim, saying he did not have interest in any plant in Malta.
However, on August 16, TheCable reported that Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, owner of Matrix Energy and member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), is also an importer from Malta.
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.
