The governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, unveiled Nigergas Company Limited on Thursday. His administration revamped and upgraded it after over thirty years of dormancy.
Mbah said Nigergas had created direct employment for over one hundred skilled and semi-skilled workers so far and would further create over 5,000 indirect jobs across distribution, fabrication, transport, and the supply chain.
He stressed that the revival of Nigergas company, established in 1962 as part of Dr. Michael Okpara’s administration after decades of abandonment, was another proof of his administration’s commitment to reviving state-owned moribund assets and growing Enugu State’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
“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.
“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,” he stated.
On Nigergas’ rehabilitation model, capacity, and expansion plan, Mbah said, “We approved a complete 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.
“Nigergas returns to production today with modernised equipment and precise 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.
“The new plant can 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.
He maintained that Nigergas’ revival would guarantee access to reliable medical oxygen, which saves lives, and on-demand industrial gases, which lower operating costs, speed turnaround, and keep workshops and factories turning.
“These improvements ripple outward: increased industrial activity strengthens our revenue base and deepens opportunities for MSMEs,” he said.
He commended the Managing Director of the Enugu State Investment Authority, and the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobod; the engineering firm, Ten Gas Development Ltd (a division of INDEV GROUP and the community leaders of Emene for their roles in resurrecting Nigergas.
Speaking, Dr. Ogbu-Nwobodo expressed joy that although the firm established by Dr. Okpara Administration in partnership with Siad Machine Impianti was abandoned for over thirty years due to mismanagement, misappropriation of revenue, abuse of company resources, nepotism, and weak corporate governance, Governor Mbah had restored the lost dreams.
The Managing Director, Ten Gas Development Ltd., Chief Chike Madueke, noted that the restored Nigergas would provide training and thousands of jobs for the state’s youth.
The Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council Chairman, Igwe Samuel Asadu; community leader and health consultant Dr. Joy Uduji; Enugu East LGA Pastor Beloved Dan Anike; and businessman Engr. George Ndubeze Ugwu also commended Mbah for breathing life into dead state-owned assets and building infrastructure that improves lives and enables businesses to thrive.
“You are the Nehemiah of our time. Like Nehemiah, who came and supervised rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, you have also come to rebuild Enugu State,” Dr. Uduji said.
Nollywood veteran actor and movie producer Kanayo O. Kanayo said, “It is not praise-singing. Security is working here because when I come to make movies, we usually stay at Nike late into the night and are safe.”
