Nigeria to end fertiliser import amid domestic production boost

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has signaled that  fertiliser imports will end as private-sector expansion positions Nigeria as a hub for value-added oil and gas products.

Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Saidu Mohammed, made the disclosure during a facility tour at Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

With the level of expected output, Nigeria is set to commence the export of urea by 2028 as part of efforts to position the country as a major hub for value-added oil and gas products, he said.

The visit formed part of Mohammed’s three-day inspection tour of selected midstream and downstream oil and gas facilities across the state.

According to him, Nigeria is deliberately working towards becoming a regional centre for value-added petroleum products, stressing that the midstream sector remains critical to achieving that goal but requires substantial investment.

Mohammed said continued importation of products such as urea and fertilisers was no longer justifiable, given the scale of ongoing and planned investments in domestic production capacity.

“The midstream segment of the oil and gas industry is a massive one that requires significant investment,” he said. 

“We need between $30 billion and $50 billion today if Nigeria is to be properly positioned as a hub, not only for oil and gas but also for secondary derivatives.”

He noted that expansion projects at facilities such as Indorama and Dangote Fertiliser would significantly boost local production, adding that Nigeria was on course to join the league of urea-exporting nations within the next two years.

“Value-added products like fertilisers and urea are things Nigeria has no business importing,” Mohammed said. “With the expansions currently underway, I am confident that within the next 24 months, Nigeria will be exporting urea, which is where we should be.”

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