Nigeria has topped China’s Belt and Road Projects in 2025 following Ogidigben Gas Park securing of $24.6bn deal.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) in Delta State has emerged as the largest single recipient of construction contracts under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2025, positioning Nigeria as the global leader in BRI construction activity for the year.
This was revealed in a new report by Christoph Nedopil, a China energy expert at Griffith University, which identified the Ogidigben project as the key driver behind Nigeria’s surge in Chinese-backed infrastructure investments.
The report estimates the total value of Nigeria’s BRI construction contracts in 2025 at approximately $24.6 billion, a dramatic increase from $1.8 billion in 2024. Of this amount, about $20 billion is attributed to a contract awarded to China National Chemical Engineering for the development of the Ogidigben Gas Industrial Park.
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The data shows that Nigeria recorded a 13-fold increase in BRI construction inflows year-on-year, overtaking all other countries globally in terms of total contract value secured in 2025.
Globally, BRI construction contracts rose to $128.4 billion, representing an 81 per cent increase from the previous year, while total BRI engagement reached about $213.5 billion across nearly 350 deals. Energy projects remained a major focus, accounting for $93.9 billion, with fossil fuel developments dominating despite record activity in green energy initiatives.
Nigeria’s cumulative energy-related engagement with China has now reached an estimated $28 billion since 2013, ranking third globally behind Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Analysts say the surge underscores Nigeria’s growing strategic importance in China’s long-term energy and infrastructure plans across Africa and the Global South.
Africa also recorded a sharp rise in BRI activity, with construction engagement on the continent climbing to $61.2 billion, a 283 per cent increase year-on-year. The report links this growth to shifting trade incentives and tariff structures that make African countries increasingly attractive for export-oriented Chinese investments.
The renewed momentum around Ogidigben comes despite a challenging history marked by delays, ethnic tensions and investor withdrawals. Long-standing disputes between Ijaw and Itsekiri communities disrupted access to the project site, while security concerns reportedly forced early investors, including Saudi interests, to pull out. At various points, the project was also labelled unviable by stakeholders.
In October 2022, the Federal Government moved to revive the stalled project by reconstituting a Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, co-chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Delta State Governor. That intervention appears to have restored investor confidence and paved the way for the large-scale Chinese involvement highlighted in the report.
Spanning about 2,700 hectares, the Ogidigben Gas Industrial Park is designed as a tax-free industrial zone to host gas-based industries such as fertiliser, methanol, petrochemicals and aluminium production. The project is expected to generate up to 250,000 direct and indirect jobs and is strategically located near major gas reserves and the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System.
If fully implemented, the Ogidigben project could become a cornerstone of Nigeria’s gas monetisation strategy and a major catalyst for industrial development in the Niger Delta.
