By Ayodele Oni
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, has disclosed that by next year, the100,000 metric tons of methanol being produced this year by a Chinese firm in Ondo state will increase to the estimated 500,000 metric tonnes.
This minister stated this on Monday while on a Site Tour and Project Inspection of the Chinese firm, SuperTech Methanol & Ammonium Bicarbonate Plant, located Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub, at Omotosho in Okitipupa local government area of the state.
The Minister, who was accompanied on the tour by top officials of the NNPCL and key stakeholders in the gas industry, explained that production of 100,000 metric tons per annum of Methanol and 160,000 metric tons per annum Ammonium Bicarbonate is historic in Nigeria.
Ekpo pointed out that the Chinese plant at Ondo-Linyi industrial hub is a clear testament to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which envisions a Nigeria where gas serves as both the backbone of industrial growth and a catalyst for job creation, innovation, and sustainable development.
According to him,President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is delighted with the take off of first ever Nigeria’s Methanol and Ammonium Bicarbonate factory in Ondo state established by a Chinese company to boost local production of Chemicals and Fertilizers in Nigeria.
He said, “Moving around and seeing the kind of investment that has come into this place is encouraging that they are taking advantage of our natural gas resources to produce methanol and ammonium bicarbonate.
“Henceforth, as I gave a charge to the representative of NNPC in that office, upstream production should take advantage of the methanol from here so as to enhance the growth of this company.
“And I believe Mr. President (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) will be happy with what is going on here, that people are taking advantage of our natural gas resources to develop the economy of the nation.
“I’m really impressed, and the federal government will give them all the necessary encouragement to make sure that these projects move high from where they are producing, I think, 100,000 metric tons to the estimated 500,000 metric tons in the year 2026.
“The Supertech Methanol & Ammonium Bicarbonate Plant, Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub, in Ondo State, is not only the first-ever Methanol and Ammonium Bicarbonate facility in the country, but also a significant addition to our downstream gas value chain, unlocking new opportunities in the production of chemicals, fertilizers, and other industrial inputs that are essential for our manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
“The relocation of this entire plant from China to Nigeria, and the achievement of 100% mechanical completion as of March 2025, speak volumes about the determination, resilience, and technical capacity of the promoters of this project.
“It is a shining example of what is possible when government policy aligns with private sector initiative,” the Minister said.
Also speaking during the tour, the Chairman of Chinese investors, Supertech Chemical Industry, Mr. Yang Jijiang, said “the minister’s visit marks an important milestone in our shared journey to advance Nigeria’s gas industrialization and energy transition agenda.
“Guided by the visionary leadership of the Federal Government and the Ondo State Government, and with the strong support of NNPC Ltd, GACN, and NMDPRA, Supertech has successfully transformed from vision to reality — establishing production facilities with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons of methanol and 160,000 tons of ammonium bicarbonate.
“As a Chinese investor in Nigeria, we at Supertech are proud to contribute to Ondo State’s industrialization drive and the broader economic development of Nigeria.
“We remain committed to creating jobs, transferring technology, and promoting long-term cooperation between our two nations.”
Earlier, the Principal Consultant to the Ondo-Linyi industrial hub, Dr Alexander Ajipe said the Minister’s tour of the project is a moral booster for the Chinese investors in Ondo state.
“As you can see, we have come here to welcome the Hon Minister for Petroleum Resources (Gas), and he has come on a special tour of the bicarbonate and methanol plants built by SuperTech Nigeria Limited. And of course, this is an achievement that we are so proud of in Ondo State and in Nigeria.
“We are now producing fertilizers here and we are producing methanol. It means that we are not going to rely on importation any longer.”
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