Profile

The Alakija family is one of the most influential in Nigeria. The three main applicants from the family - Omotayo, Oladipupo, and Folarin - are sons of Folorunso Alakija, managing director of the Rose of Sharon Group, founder of the Rose of Sharon Foundation, and the executive vice chairman of Famfa Oil Ltd, one of Nigeria's largest exporters of crude oil. Omotayo Alakija is CEO of the oil company. In 2020, Forbes determined that Folorunso Alakija was the richest woman in Nigeria and “the most powerful woman in Africa”. Her estimated net worth is US$1 billion. At one point, the Nigerian Government attempted to seize a significant shareholding of Famfa Oil, triggering a 12-year legal battle that Folorunso Alakija ultimately won.

The prospect

In a letter included with his application, Omotayo Alakija expressed interest in expanding Famfa Oil's business to Malta, citing “cooperation pacts with Turkey and Libya to explore for oil”. It is unclear whether such exploration agreements exist. In the same letter, Folarin Alakija claimed he met Malta's then Minister of Energy, Konrad Mizzi, at the Commonwealth Business Forum during CHOGM 2015 in Malta, and “discussed investment opportunities in the power sector for Nigeria”. He also claimed he had met Malta's then president, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. (In an email, Mrs Coleiro-Preca told the consortium that she has “no recollection of meeting Mr Alakija and certainly held no private meetings with him.”)

‘Links’ with Malta include visits to a dolphin show and a reptile house

A folder included with Folarin Alakija's application package, labeled “Links with Malta”, included a ticket to a “dolphin show” and “reptile house” and a PayPal confirmation of a €1,000 donation to an animal rescue charity. Flight itineraries included with his application package indicate he only spent two days in Malta in 2014, eight days over two trips in 2015, and another two days in 2016. Omotayo Alakija cited “sun deprivation” as a reason for his interest in Maltese citizenship. Oladipupo Alakija declared in a letter to Identity Malta that since the start of the application process “until the time I am granted citizenship” he would have spent “approximately 12 days” in Malta.

The new Maltese citizens

Omotayo Alakija submitted his application for Maltese citizenship in July 2015. It was approved in principle in January 2016. Oladipupo Alakija and Folarin Alakija both submitted their applications in May 2015, along with their respective wives. Their applications were approved in principle in December 2015. All three brothers now have Maltese passports. Folarin Alakija picked up his passport from Malta's High Commission in London. Oladipupo collected his from Malta. It is unclear whether any member of the family has been to Malta since then.

What they said

None of the Alakija family members, nor any of the entities mentioned here, responded to our requests for comment. Famfa Oil Limited asked for 48 hours to respond and then recalled their email minutes later. Konrad Mizzi did not respond to multiple requests for comment.