Copyright newtelegraphng
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to advancing the Brass Gas Projects as part of efforts to industrialise Nigeria through gas utilisation. Speaking at a two-day All-Party Stakeholders Workshop on the Brass Projects in Abuja, Ekpo said the Brass Methanol Plant, Gas Processing Plant, and the Brass Free Zone Infrastructure will collectively form the nucleus of the proposed Brass Oil and Gas City in Bayelsa State. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s spokesman, Louis Iba. “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) remains fully committed to supporting the Brass Projects through policy facilitation, regulatory coordination, and stakeholder engagement. We are particularly focused on ensuring that frameworks such as gas supply and offtake agreements, licensing, and infrastructure integration are streamlined and bankable.” He urged participants at the workshop to focus on actionable outcomes, define clear responsibilities, identify and close existing gaps, and produce a roadmap toward achieving full financial close and project take-off. The minister stressed that the successful realisation of the Brass Projects would not only advance Nigeria’s gas industrialisation agenda but also deliver tangible benefits to the Niger Delta region through job creation, infrastructure development, and community empowerment. Ekpo commended the synergy among key partners, including Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Renaissance Joint Venture, Afreximbank, and other financiers for their sustained collaboration toward bringing the project to fruition. The statement noted that all stakeholders including NNPC Ltd., Renaissance JV, Bayelsa State Government, Host Communities, Trafigura (product offtaker), and the EPC contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), have reiterated their commitment to work collaboratively toward achieving financial close and timely project execution. The Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment in Bayelsa State, Dr. Ebieri Jones, who represented Governor Douye Diri at the event, reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to provide a peaceful and investor-friendly environment for the successful execution of the Brass Projects. He noted that the state’s support for the initiative is anchored on the projects’ vast potential to create employment opportunities and stimulate socio-economic growth across the region. In his remarks, the Managing Director of Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Ltd., Chief Ben Okoye, lauded the Federal Government’s renewed drive, noting that the Brass Methanol and Gas Processing Plants will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, foster technology transfer, and stimulate ancillary industries across the Niger Delta. He described the project as a model of productive partnership between government, private investors, and host communities, urging all parties to remain steadfast in achieving early completion.
