Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, has unveiled the revamped and upgraded Nigergas Company Limited facility.
According to a statement on Thursday, the state government
said the facility was upgraded by Mbah’s administration after over three
decades of dormancy.
Speaking during the event, Mbah said Nigergas has so far
created over 100 direct jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers, with an
additional 5,000 indirect jobs expected across distribution, fabrication,
transport, and supply chains.
The governor said the revival of the company, established in
1962 by Michael Okpara, former premier of Eastern Nigeria, is another proof of
his administration’s commitment to reviving state-owned moribund 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 to a site that once symbolised Eastern Nigeria’s industrial
promise,” the governor said.
“When we speak of the goal to grow our GDP from $4.4bn to
$30bn, it is not mere posturing. It is rooted in the conviction that Enugu can
become a truly diversified, self-reliant economy, if we muster the will to do
things differently to launch us to the future we dream of.”
On Nigergas’ rehabilitation model, capacity, and expansion
plan, Mbah said the state implemented a “full rehabilitation scheme and a
management model that blends public ownership with private-sector performance
discipline”.
“The intention was clear: retain public ownership, but run
the facility on modern, accountable, commercially viable lines,” he said.
“So, today, Nigergas returns to production with modernised
equipment and clear technical specifications designed to meet immediate
healthcare and industry needs.
“The plant’s installed capacity has been upgraded to produce
significant volumes of medical and industrial gases, ensuring steady local
supply and reducing dependence on distant, expensive suppliers.
“Crucially, the plant will supply liquid oxygen, medical and
industrial oxygen, and acetylene gas to our hospitals, welders, agro-processors
and manufacturers, improving clinical outcomes and reducing production costs
for businesses that are the backbone of local livelihoods.”
Mbah said the plant has a capacity to produce 100 cubic
metres of oxygen per hour and 45 cubic metres of acetylene per hour.
“We will soon bring on stream these additional products:
nitrogen; argon gas; carbon dioxide; and CNG stations,” he said.
The politician maintained that the rehabilitation of
Nigergas would guarantee access to reliable medical oxygen, on-demand
industrial gases to lower operating costs, and keep workshops and factories
turning.
“These improvements ripple outward: increased industrial
activity strengthens our revenue base, and deepens opportunities for MSMEs,”
Mbah said.
He commended Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, the managing director of the
Enugu State Investment Authority and the commissioner for trade, investment and
industry, Ten Gas Development Ltd, a division of Indev Group, and the community
leaders of Emene for their roles in resurrecting Nigergas.
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