Nigeria Leverages Methanol For Plastic, Pharmaceutical Industries

The federal government is taking broader steps to drive the plastics and pharmaceutical industries by leveraging Nigeria’s gas resources as a potential source to promote industrialisation.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, projected that this will be made possible through gas-to-methanol projects, which the country views as a new frontier for economic growth. He said this has the potential to transform industries, create jobs, and boost national development.
Methanol, a versatile industrial chemical used in various industries, is a critical chemical used in plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and as an emerging clean fuel.

Speaking at the Niger Delta Oil and Gas Investment and Security Summit in Calabar, Cross River State, Ekpo said, Nigeria’s estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, alongside 600 trillion cubic feet of potential reserves, underscore the country’s standing as a gas-rich nation.

“One of the most exciting opportunities for Nigeria lies in gas-to-methanol projects. Methanol, a versatile industrial chemical used in various industries, is a critical industrial chemical, used in plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and as an emerging clean fuel,” he said.

Represented by his Senior Technical adviser, Abel Nsa, the minister noted that Nigeria is already attracting significant global interest and investment in methanol production, including the $3.6 billion Brass Methanol Plant in Bayelsa State, which is advancing towards Final Investment Decision (FID).

Ekpo recalled that the federal government declared 2021–2030 Nigeria’s Decade of Gas, aimed at reducing dependence on crude oil and fully harnessing natural gas resources. He listed the Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, which has converted 48 flare sites into viable projects for LPG, power, and petrochemicals, as one of the major achievements in the sector.

Ekpo highlighted opportunities for Cross River State, saying its strategic location and industrial base position it to benefit from methanol projects that can drive industrialisation, technology transfer, and job creation.