Enugu State Governor, Peer Mbah, inspecting some facilities during the unveiling of NigerGas Plant on Thursday in Emene, Enugu,
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has unveiled the revitalized Nigergas Co. Ltd, a state-owned gas plant dormant for over 35 years.
Originally established in 1962 by the late Dr. Michael Okpara’s administration in partnership with Italian firm Siad Machine Impianti, the facility was inherited by Enugu State after the dissolution of the East Central State.
It previously produced acetylene, nitrogen, medical oxygen, and welding/process oxygen.
At the unveiling on Thursday in Emene, Enugu, Mbah highlighted the plant’s immediate impact, noting, “Nigergas has so far created direct employment for over 100 skilled and semi-skilled workers.”
He projected that the facility would generate over 5,000 indirect jobs across distribution, fabrication, transport, and supply chains.
The upgraded plant now boasts a production capacity of 100 cubic meters of oxygen and 45 cubic meters of acetylene per hour.
Mbah framed the revival as a cornerstone of his administration’s goal to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion by restoring dormant state assets.
“What we have revived and unveiled today is not simply metal and a network of pipes; it is the restoration of purpose, dignity, and productivity,” he said, emphasizing Enugu’s potential for a “truly diversified, self-reliant economy.”
The governor outlined a modernized management model blending public ownership with private-sector efficiency, stating, “The intention was clear: retain public ownership, but run the facility on modern, accountable, and commercially viable lines.”
The revamped plant, equipped with upgraded technology, will supply medical and industrial gases, including liquid oxygen and acetylene, to hospitals, welders, agro-processors, and manufacturers.
Mbah added, “We will soon bring on stream additional products: nitrogen, argon gas, carbon dioxide, and CNG stations,” further reducing reliance on external suppliers.
The revival is expected to lower healthcare and production costs while boosting local businesses.
“These improvements ripple outward: increased industrial activity strengthens our revenue base and deepens opportunities for MSMEs,” Mbah noted.
Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, attributed the plant’s decades-long dormancy to mismanagement, revenue misappropriation, nepotism, and weak governance. Chief Chike Madueke, Managing Director of Ten Gas Development Ltd, a division of INDEV GROUP, praised the project’s potential, stating, “The restored Nigergas will provide training and thousands of employment opportunities for the youths of the state.”
Mbah commended the Enugu State Investment Authority, Ogbu-Nwobodo, and Ten Gas Development Ltd for their roles in the successful rehabilitation, marking a significant step toward Enugu’s industrial and economic resurgence.
