On January 15th, Li Zhenyu, President of China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation Ltd., warmly welcomed Mr. Hon. to the CNCEC headquarters. Joseph Tegbe, Director General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership and Mr. Sheikh Mohamed Bayorh, President of Alpha Grip Management Company (AGMC) (www.AlphaGroupUAE.com), a subsidiary of Alpha Group UAE, along with their respective delegations for the Official Signing Ceremony the partnership for the development, financing and construction of the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) project in Delta State, Nigeria between AGMC and CNCEC. The Director General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Joseph Tegbe, who is currently visiting China to strengthen Nigeria-China relations in line with the policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government, witnessed the signing ceremony. Both sides held intensive discussions about further strengthening efficient and pragmatic cooperation as well as about implementing the next project development steps to ensure the implementation and completion of the project.
President Li Zhenyu of CNCEC gave a detailed introduction to the development of CNCEC's overseas business and its activities in Nigeria, which recently included the construction of the Dangote Petrochemical Refinery Complex. He stressed that CNCEC, as a globally competitive engineering services contractor for the oil and gas industry with expertise in research and development, investment, construction and operations, has always viewed Nigeria as a strategic priority for its overseas expansion. He also expressed CNCEC's determination to actively implement the consensus reached by heads of state during the China-Africa Cooperation Forum Summit, deepen cooperation in several areas and make greater contributions to Nigeria's economic growth through construction and industrialization. He highlighted CNCEC's strong desire to develop the US$20 billion Ogidigben Gas Project to completion in collaboration with the licensed developer AGMC, FGN of Nigeria, Delta State Government, NNPCL and other stakeholders.
Director-General Joseph Tegbe conveyed the good wishes of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China to deepen bilateral relations between the two nations, stressing that his visit was a continuation of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to China at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2024. The Director General of NCSP appreciated CNCEC's technical capabilities in oil and gas, refining, petrochemical complexes and integrated use of natural gas. He also commended the achievements of CNCEC in Nigeria and its involvement in the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park project, which he described as a national priority project with the full support of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He further explained that Nigeria has abundant oil and gas resources and has a strong readiness for industrial development. The Nigerian government attaches great importance to mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese companies. He expressed confidence that CNCEC can make full use of its professional capabilities and technological advantages to participate in relevant construction projects, jointly promote trade and economic exchanges, and contribute to high-quality economic development.
Mr. Sheikh Mohamed Bayorh, Chairman of Alpha Group UAE/President of AGMC, thanked the CNEC leadership for the warm welcome and formal conclusion of the partnership agreements for the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park project. He also thanked SE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his visionary leadership in promoting policies and reforms that has created an enabling environment for attracting international investors, which has significantly increased investor confidence particularly in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, and expressed his deep gratitude to the hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo for providing strategic leadership in promoting gas infrastructure and industrialization in the gas sector along with the leadership of the GCEO of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari and the Executive Vice President of Gas, Power and New Energy Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye for the continued support of the Ogidigben GRIP project. He also expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to the Director General, Hon. Joseph Tegbe and his delegation for attending the formal signing ceremony between CNCEC and AGMC on the investment and financing of the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park project, which underlines the importance of the strategic bilateral partnership between Nigeria and China.
The President of AGMC strongly emphasized CNCEC's technological expertise and comprehensive strength in the oil, gas and chemical industries, stressing that this partnership will undoubtedly accelerate the integrated development of the project, which, as originally envisioned by the NNPCL, will be the largest gas city in Africa should be. The $20 billion Ogidigben Gas project will accommodate power plants, fertilizer, petrochemical, aluminum smelting, LNG and methanol plants, among others, as well as many secondary industries that will create thousands of jobs during both construction and operations. The AGMC developer consortium consists of a capital investment firm based in the United Arab Emirates and several global players, including Power China and now CNCEC, with a total asset value of over $100 billion.
This partnership between AGMC and CNCEC will undoubtedly complement each other's strengths by joining forces and make a significant contribution to accelerating Nigeria's industrialization progress in the gas sector with the successful launch and completion of the Ogidigben GRIP project.