Bayelsa State has requested an equity position in the $3.5 billion Brass Fertiliser and Petrochemical Company project scheduled to commence in October 2025 on Brass Island.
Governor Douye Diri, speaking during a courtesy visit by the company’s management in Yenagoa, said the state must be part of the project due to the exclusion of oil-producing states in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He argued that the PIA ignored the constitutional role of states in land ownership, creating conflicts in host communities.
“These anomalies in the PIA have made the law a time bomb,” Diri warned, citing unresolved disputes and delayed community development funds.
Company Managing Director Chief Ben Okoye confirmed that the project would soon begin, delivering 10,000 metric tonnes of methanol daily. He noted that a critical gas supply agreement was finalised earlier this year following presidential intervention.
The project is expected to create 15,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent roles, while also boosting tax revenue, SMEs, logistics development, and power generation through a planned 300MW gas-fired plant.
