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.
This is according to a new report by Christoph Nedopil, a China energy expert at Griffith University.
The project, which is one of Nigeria’s most ambitious gas-based industrial ventures, has in the past been marred by delays, ethnic tensions, and investor uncertainty.
The deal size is estimated at approximately $24.6 billion, making it one of the largest deals embarked on by the Chinese.
The report attributes the dramatic rise in Nigeria’s construction inflows from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $24.6 billion in 2025 to a $20 billion contract awarded to China National Chemical Engineering for the GRIP project.
What the data is saying
The report positions Nigeria as the global leader in BRI construction activity in 2025, outpacing all other countries in terms of total value secured.
Nigeria’s $24.6 billion in BRI construction contracts marks a 13-fold increase over the previous year.
The Ogidigben Gas Industrial Park alone accounts for around $20 billion of that total, according to the report.
BRI construction contracts globally hit $128.4 billion in 2025, an 81% year-on-year increase, while total BRI engagement reached ~$213.5 billion across approximately 350 deals.
Energy remained a key driver of BRI activities, with global energy-related engagement reaching $93.9 billion. Fossil fuel projects dominated, although green energy initiatives also saw record figures.
Nigeria’s cumulative energy-related engagement with China now stands at an estimated $28 billion since 2013, third only to Pakistan ($41.5 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($40 billion).
This sharp uptick underscores Nigeria’s strategic importance in China’s long-term energy and infrastructure strategy across Africa and the global south.
Africa also saw a major spike in activity. BRI construction engagement across the continent surged to $61.2 billion — a 283% year-on-year increase.
Analysts link this to trade incentives and tariff structures that now make African nations more appealing for export-oriented Chinese investments than some Asian markets.
This sharp rise in Chinese infrastructure engagement stands in contrast to global FDI trends, which saw a decline in 2025. According to independent data cited in the report:
Global foreign direct investment dropped by 3% in H1 2025.
Greenfield renewable energy investments also fell sharply, from $147 billion in H1 2024 to $83 billion in H1 2025.
Africa’s non-BRI FDI declined by 42%, making the surge in BRI construction even more significant.
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.
This is according to a new report by Christoph Nedopil, a China energy expert at Griffith University.
The project, which is one of Nigeria’s most ambitious gas-based industrial ventures, has in the past been marred by delays, ethnic tensions, and investor uncertainty.
The deal size is estimated at approximately $24.6 billion, making it one of the largest deals embarked on by the Chinese.
The report attributes the dramatic rise in Nigeria’s construction inflows from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $24.6 billion in 2025 to a $20 billion contract awarded to China National Chemical Engineering for the GRIP project.
What the data is saying
The report positions Nigeria as the global leader in BRI construction activity in 2025, outpacing all other countries in terms of total value secured.
Nigeria’s $24.6 billion in BRI construction contracts marks a 13-fold increase over the previous year.
The Ogidigben Gas Industrial Park alone accounts for around $20 billion of that total, according to the report.
BRI construction contracts globally hit $128.4 billion in 2025, an 81% year-on-year increase, while total BRI engagement reached ~$213.5 billion across approximately 350 deals.
Energy remained a key driver of BRI activities, with global energy-related engagement reaching $93.9 billion. Fossil fuel projects dominated, although green energy initiatives also saw record figures.
Nigeria’s cumulative energy-related engagement with China now stands at an estimated $28 billion since 2013, third only to Pakistan ($41.5 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($40 billion).
This sharp uptick underscores Nigeria’s strategic importance in China’s long-term energy and infrastructure strategy across Africa and the global south.
Africa also saw a major spike in activity. BRI construction engagement across the continent surged to $61.2 billion — a 283% year-on-year increase.
Analysts link this to trade incentives and tariff structures that now make African nations more appealing for export-oriented Chinese investments than some Asian markets.
This sharp rise in Chinese infrastructure engagement stands in contrast to global FDI trends, which saw a decline in 2025. According to independent data cited in the report:
Global foreign direct investment dropped by 3% in H1 2025.
Greenfield renewable energy investments also fell sharply, from $147 billion in H1 2024 to $83 billion in H1 2025.
Africa’s non-BRI FDI declined by 42%, making the surge in BRI construction even more significant.
Be the first to comment