OCP Africa and NSIA vote $1.4 billion for industrial plant project

By Adeleye Kunle

OCP Africa is investing $1.4 billion in a joint venture with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to develop an ammonia and DAP industrial plant.

The Akwa Ibom State Industrial Plant project is expected to use Nigerian gas and Moroccan phosphate to produce 750,000 metric tons (Mt) of ammonia and one million Mt of phosphate fertiliser annually.

Caleb Usoh, Country Manager/Deputy Managing Director OCP Africa Nigeria, stated that farmers have long faced impediments to obtaining optimal value from their farmlands, such as a lack of access to quality inputs, problematic soils, and insufficient training on good agricultural practices; these challenges, if not addressed, will pose a threat to the nation’s food system.

To address the nation’s food security challenges, generic fertiliser blends for all soil and crop types must be phased out. There has never been a better time to introduce soil and crop specific fertilizer. Due to varying soil nutrient compositions, the use of specialty fertilizers to address specific crop nutrition needs is an emerging trend in global agriculture practice.

OCP Africa, a global leader in phosphate and its derivatives, believes that efficient use of specialty fertilizer is one of the most effective ways to boost farmer productivity and ensure food security.

Usoh stated that with the consumption of NPK fertiliser blends projected to exceed 4.5 million MT by 2030, OCP Africa is supporting the projected demand with massive investments in fertiliser production, R&D, distribution channel support, farmer-centric initiatives, and other initiatives to actualize Nigeria’s vision of ensuring food production self-sufficiency.

He stated that the Ogun and Sokoto plants would begin production by the fourth quarter of the year, while the Kaduna plant, which cost $13.4 million to build, began production in March of this year and is set to open next month.

The plant operates under a Toll Blending partnership agreement, which enables industry players and brand owners to take advantage of OCP Africa’s plant capacity and expertise to provide quality fertiliser to their customers. To foster a sustainable agricultural ecosystem, the Kaduna plant employs over 250 people in various job functions.

To provide customized fertiliser in the Nigeria agricultural space, OCP Africa has pioneered the research, development, and production of crop and soil specific fertiliser blends by establishing ultra-modern fertilizer blending plants in three states across Nigeria (Kaduna, Ogun and Sokoto).

Each of the three ultra-modern blending plants dubbed “Centres of Excellence” includes a Blending facility capable of composing five macro and five micro-nutrient elements, a Fertilizer and Soil testing laboratory, a Farm and Fortune Hub retail outlet for agricultural products and services, and a Model Farm. The blending plants have a combined annual production capacity of 500,000MT. In accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s signing of the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act in 2020, OCP Africa has installed a cutting-edge laboratory within the blending plant facilities to further ensure the quality of its products meets nutrient specifications.