Nigeria to begin exporting urea in 2028 — NMDPRA

Nigeria to begin exporting urea in 2028 — NMDPRA

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced that Nigeria is on course to begin exporting urea by 2028, alongside the commencement of large-scale fertiliser exports, as part of plans to position the country as a major hub for value-added oil and gas products. The disclosure was made by the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Saidu Mohammed, during a tour of Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited in Rivers State.

Mohammed explained that the midstream oil and gas sector is critical to Nigeria’s industrial growth and requires between $30 billion and $50 billion in investments to unlock its full potential. He noted that with ongoing expansions at facilities such as Indorama and Dangote Fertiliser, Nigeria has no justification to continue importing value-added products like urea and fertilisers. He expressed confidence that within the next two years, the country would join the league of urea-exporting nations.

The NMDPRA boss commended Indorama’s investments as an example of the type of development needed in the midstream sector and called for more fertiliser plants and value-addition initiatives. He also highlighted Rivers State’s strategic importance to the oil and gas industry, hosting key processing, refining and manufacturing assets. Mohammed reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to creating an enabling regulatory environment to support operators and attract more investments, while Indorama’s management welcomed the visit and called for regulatory adjustments to better reflect the realities of midstream manufacturing.