Enugu revamps moribund Nigergas after 30-year hiatus

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.