Bayelsa Set To Transform Brass Free Zone Into Petrochemicals Industrial Hub

The Brass Free Zone in Bayelsa State is set to become a major petrochemical hub with the commencement of the $3.5 billion Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company project.

The project, planned to start work in October 2025, aims to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of methanol per day. It promises significant economic benefits including the creation of over 15,000 jobs during construction and 5,000 permanent jobs, increased tax revenues, and growth opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has requested an equity stake in the project, citing concerns over the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which he argues unfairly excludes oil-producing states and local governments from partnerships and benefits.

The governor in a statement on Tuesday, expressed frustration that the PIA disregards constitutional provisions that vest land control in state governments, leading to conflicts and disputes in host communities. He urged the project’s management to work collaboratively with the state to avoid similar issues in this initiative.

The governor expressed the hope that the petrochemical company would be different and urged the management to partner the state government to correct the imbalance and avert conflicts in its host communities.

Diri, who commended the President Bola Tinubu administration for resuscitating the project, said it was long overdue.

He said that the Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company was conceptualised in 2009 but gained some traction during the administration of his predecessor before it fizzled out again.

He equally appreciated the president for his positive response to the state’s requests for federal government presence as exemplified in revival of the fertiliser and petrochemical project.

Speaking earlier, Managing Director of the Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company, Chief Ben Okoye, said the visit was to formally inform the state government that work on the $3.5 billion project would start in October this year.

Chief Okoye explained that the 10,000 metric tonnes of methanol per day project was delayed as there was no agreement reached on the gas component but that President Tinubu last October directed the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) to get it started and that the agreement was signed in January this year.

He assured the state government that the necessary steps have been taken to implement the project in full and thanked the governor for constructing the Nembe-Brass road, which he noted would save the company up to $100,000 in logistics costs in moving equipment and materials on the river to the project site.

The project had previously stalled despite being conceptualized as far back as 2009 but gained renewed momentum under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, who directed efforts to resolve outstanding issues like gas supply. The company’s management thanked the Bayelsa government for infrastructure support, notably the Nembe-Brass road, which will reduce logistics costs substantially.

In addition to job creation and economic transformation, the project will foster infrastructure development including a port, jetty, logistics base, and a 300MW gas-fired power plant to secure energy supply.

This initiative is expected to solidify the Brass Free Zone’s emergence as a global petrochemical hub, catalyzing broader regional development and positioning Bayelsa prominently in Nigeria’s industrial landscape.