Mbah Revives Nigergas After 30 Years, Boosts Jobs and Industrial Growth

To revive the Enugu State’s industrial base, Governor Peter Mbah on Thursday officially unveiled the newly revamped Nigergas Company Limited, bringing back to life a plant that had been dormant for over three decades.

Located in Emene, Enugu East, Nigergas has undergone a complete overhaul and is now equipped with modern technology capable of meeting urgent medical and industrial gas needs.

The revived facility currently produces 100 cubic metres of oxygen and 45 cubic metres of acetylene per hour, with plans underway to include nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations.

“This is not just a revival of steel and pipes, but a restoration of purpose, dignity, and productivity to a site that once symbolised Eastern Nigeria’s industrial promise,” Governor Mbah said during the unveiling ceremony.

The resuscitation of Nigeria is expected to have far-reaching economic effects. Already, the facility has created over 100 direct jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers, with projections of more than 5,000 indirect jobs across distribution, transportation, fabrication, and other areas of the supply chain.

Governor Mbah emphasised that this development is part of his broader economic vision to raise Enugu’s GDP from $4.4 billion to $30 billion. He noted that such ambitions are not “empty rhetoric,” but backed by action-oriented strategies to foster a diversified and self-reliant economy.

Nigergas will now operate under a hybrid model that blends public ownership with private-sector performance discipline. “Ownership remains with the public, but operations will follow modern, accountable, and commercially viable principles,” Mbah explained.

The facility is poised to reduce the region’s reliance on distant and costly gas sources, thereby lowering production costs for manufacturers, improving clinical outcomes in healthcare, and stimulating MSME growth.

Governor Mbah commended the contributions of the Enugu State Investment Authority, led by Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo; engineering partner Ten Gas Development Ltd; and the Emene community for their support in the project’s success.

“We shall continue to make Enugu a hub of opportunity, industry, and service delivery,” Mbah concluded. “Tomorrow is here.”