IFC has several active projects with Indorama Corporation and Chemicals (Indorama) and is leading a debt financing package to Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals (IEFCL), part of Indorama, for the construction of a third urea fertilizer line (“Line 3”). In 2016, IFC supported the construction of the first urea fertilizer facility (“Line 1”) and the second urea fertilizer line (“Line 2”), located at the same site as Line 1 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. In 2024, IFC committed to finance Line 3.

In July 2024, the CAO received a complaint from two local civil society organizations (CSOs), supported by the Bank Information Center (BIC), an international CSO, on behalf of four complainants from the Eleme region in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The complaint raised several environmental and social issues, including water pollution and loss of marine biodiversity in the Okulu River; air pollution and its resulting health effects on the community; loss of livelihoods; limited access to employment and poor working conditions; as well as inadequate stakeholder engagement and improper public consultation. A similar complaint was also filed with the Independent Accountability Mechanism (IAM) of the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

In July 2024, CAO found the complaint eligible and initiated an assessment. During the assessment process, both parties decided to address the issues raised in the complaint through CAO’s Compliance function. In accordance with CAO Policy, the case was transferred to CAO’s Compliance function for appraisal of IFC’s environmental and social performance in December 2024.