Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has described gas-to-methanol projects as a new driver of economic growth, saying they can transform industries, create jobs, and boost national development.
Speaking at the Niger Delta Oil and Gas Investment and Security Summit in Calabar, Cross River State, Ekpo highlighted Nigeria’s 210 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and 600 trillion cubic feet of potential reserves as proof of its global standing as a gas-rich nation.
He noted that methanol is a versatile chemical used in plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and as a clean fuel, stressing that projects such as the $3.6 billion Brass Methanol Plant in Bayelsa State are attracting global investors and moving towards final approval.
The Minister recalled that the Federal Government declared 2021–2030 as Nigeria’s Decade of Gas, with major gains such as converting 48 flare sites into viable projects for LPG, power, and petrochemicals under the Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme.
For Cross River State, he said its strategic location and industrial base make it well-placed to benefit from methanol projects that will drive industrialisation, technology transfer, and job creation.