Danjuma Amodu | 23 January 2026
As part of his three‑day operational oversight of midstream and downstream facilities in Rivers State, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Chief Executive, Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed visited Matrix Petrochemical’s lubricant‑blending plant in Port Harcourt. The tour, which began on 21 January 2026, also included stops at Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, gas‑processing units, and key refinery assets across the state.
During the Matrix visit, Engr. Mohammed inspected the blending lines, safety systems, and quality‑control laboratories, noting a 15 % increase in capacity after recent upgrades and commending the plant’s adherence to environmental, health and safety standards. He urged continued investment in local content and workforce training and held a round‑table with plant management, Rivers State energy officials, and community leaders to discuss supply‑chain resilience and market expansion.
He added, “The essence of this visit is to give support and ensure that investors continue to expand while we attract even more investment into the sector. Rivers State has almost every sample we need to see across the oil and gas value chain.”
The Authority Boss, while at Indorama, said “What we have seen at Indorama is a manifestation of what Nigeria needs. We need more of this kind of development in the midstream sector. Value addition to our hydrocarbon resources through fertilizer plants and other derivative products is critical if the nation is to truly progress.”
In his remark, Mr. Munish Jindal, Chief Executive Officer of Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, stated that, “The visit by the NMDPRA leadership is crucial to effective regulation and the sustained growth of the midstream sector.
He added that, on‑the‑ground regulatory visits enable authorities to better understand industry realities, appreciate the scale of investments, and see first‑hand the progress achieved over time.”
The broader Rivers tour highlighted the state’s strategic role in Nigeria’s oil‑and‑gas value chain, with Mohammed emphasising that.
“The midstream sector is critical and requires significant investment to unlock its full potential.” He pledged NMDPRA’s support to create an enabling environment for operators while also signalling plans for further visits to other states after the three‑day schedule.
The Authority (NMDPRA) has said Nigeria will begin exporting urea in 2028 as the country positions itself as a major hub for value‑added oil and gas products. The authority also disclosed that Nigeria would soon commence large‑scale fertiliser exports.
Mohammed, while fielding questions from journalists during the tour, explained that Nigeria is striving to become a major hub for value‑added products in the oil and gas industry, noting that the midstream sector is critical and requires significant investment to unlock its full potential. He said the country had no reason to continue importing value‑added products such as urea and fertilisers, particularly given the scale of private‑sector investments currently being made in the sector.
“The midstream segment of the oil and gas business is a tremendous one that requires massive investment. We need between $30 billion and $50 billion today if we are to put Nigeria on the right footing as a hub not only for oil and gas but also for secondary derivatives,” he said. “Value‑added products like fertilisers and urea are things Nigeria has no business importing. With the expansion going on at Indorama and several other facilities, including Dangote Fertiliser, I am confident that within the next 24 months, Nigeria will join the league of urea‑exporting countries, which is where we should be.”
He added that the authority’s role was to create an enabling environment for operators to thrive while attracting additional investment into the sector.
“The authority is here to facilitate, provide support, and create the right environment for operators to expand investments, while we also attract more investors into the sector,” he said.
Mr. Jindal, who noted that Indorama had been operating in Nigeria for over 20 years, said the NMDPRA chief had played a role in the establishment of the company. “We thank the authorities for the understanding they have developed over the years for the midstream industry. In the early days, it was challenging to explain our operational realities and needs, but that understanding has significantly improved over the past 18 years,” he said. While expressing appreciation for the current regulatory framework, Jindal said some existing provisions were no longer relevant to midstream manufacturing companies and had requested exemptions.
“There are one or two issues that may benefit the oil and gas industry generally, but are no longer relevant to midstream manufacturers like us. We have requested that the authority look into these areas and consider exemptions where appropriate,” he said.
The tour of midstream and downstream facilities in Rivers State by the NMDPRA chief and his team ends on Friday (today) with Mohammed indicating that further visits to facilities in other states would follow, noting that three days were insufficient to cover all relevant areas.
The Authority routinely conducts on‑site inspections to ensure compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act and to foster a transparent, competitive market. Matrix Petrochemical, a privately owned Port Harcourt firm, runs one of Nigeria’s largest lubricant‑blending facilities, supplying automotive, industrial and marine lubricants domestically and for export.
The combined visits underscore NMDPRA’s commitment to strengthening regulatory oversight, boosting local production capacity, and positioning Nigeria as a hub for value‑added petroleum products.
