The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says the ongoing expansion of Indorama, Dangote fertilizer and other plants will position Nigeria to become a net exporter of Urea and fertiliser by 2028.
This was made known by the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Saidu Mohammed, during an operational tour of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited facilities on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Eleme, Rivers State.
The tour was to assess firsthand the operational status, infrastructure availability and performance of critical assets within the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
What the NMDPRA CEO is saying
Mohammed said ongoing investments and expansions of critical assets would enable Nigeria to join the league of urea-exporting nations and emerge as a fertiliser production hub.
According to him, the country is on the right path towards transforming its petroleum and manufacturing sectors to support sustainable economic growth.
“Value-added products such as fertilisers and urea plants are what this nation needs,” he said.
Mohammed stated that Nigeria had no justification for importing fertiliser and urea, considering its abundant natural resource endowment.
He said, “We are optimistic that ongoing expansions at Indorama and Dangote Fertiliser plants, among others, will enable Nigeria to join the league of urea-exporting countries within the next 24 months.’’
The NMDPRA boss said Nigeria was targeting to become a major hub for value-added petroleum products, noting that the midstream sector remained crucial but required significant investment.
More insights
Mohammed added that the country needed between $30 billion and $50 billion in additional investments to further strengthen the midstream oil and gas sector.
He said Nigeria should look beyond energy supply and aim to become a hub for oil and gas derivatives, citing the vast opportunities across the midstream and downstream segments.
“Fertiliser plants and other value additions to our hydrocarbon resources are essential for national growth,” he said.
He explained that the three-day operational tour of selected midstream and downstream facilities in Rivers was designed to engage industry players across the oil and gas value chain.
“NMDPRA is ready to provide the necessary support and create an enabling environment to encourage further investments,” Mohammed assured.
He said the authority’s delegation would also visit gas processing plants, manufacturing facilities and refineries to gain a comprehensive overview of industry operations.
During his speech, the CEO of Indorama, Mr Munish Jindal, urged the regulator to review policies that no longer reflected the realities of the manufacturing sector.
What you should know
Nairametrics had, in November 2025, reported that Dangote Fertilizer Limited (DFL) had entered into a strategic agreement with Thyssenkrupp Uhde Fertilizer Technology (UFT), a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Uhde, to license its advanced UFT Fluid Bed Granulation Technology for four new urea granulation units in Nigeria.
The agreement includes the provision of the technology license, a comprehensive Process Design Package (PDP), and the supply of proprietary equipment such as granulators and scrubbers.
It stated that each of the four new units will have a nameplate capacity of 4,235 metric tons per day, adding up to a combined daily capacity of 16,940 metric tons.
This will significantly boost Dangote Fertiliser’s annual urea granule production from approximately 2.65 million tons to over 8 million tons.
