*This State Different Now, Safer -Kanayo O. Kanayo
By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
After over 30 years of dormancy, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Thursday, unveiled Nigergas Company Limited, revamped and upgraded by his administration.
Mbah said Nigergas had so far created direct employment for over 100 skilled and semi-skilled workers, and would further create over 5,000 indirect jobs across distribution, fabrication, transport and supply chain.
He stressed that the revival of Nigergas, which was established in 1962 as part of the achievements of the high-performing administration of then Premier of Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara, after decades of abandonment, was another proof of his administration’s commitment to reviving state-owned moribund assets and grow Enugu State’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
The governor explained: “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 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.
“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.
“The new 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 maintained that Nigergas’ revival would guarantee access to reliable medical oxygen to saves lives, on-demand industrial gases to lower operating costs, speeds turnaround and keeps workshops and factories running.
“These improvements ripple outward: increased industrial activity strengthens our revenue base, and deepens opportunities for MSMEs,” he said.
He commended the Managing Director (MD) of Enugu State Investment Authority, and the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo; the engineering firm, Ten Gas Development Ltd (a division of Indev Group) and the community leaders of Emene, where the factory is located, for their roles in resurrecting Nigergas.
Speaking, Dr. Ogbu-Nwobodo expressed joy that although the firm established by the defunct Okpara administration in partnership with Siad Machine Impianti, was abandoned for over three decades due to mismanagement, misappropriation of revenue, abuse of company resources, nepotism, and weak corporate governance, Gov. Mbah had restored the lost dreams.
On his part, MD, Ten Gas Development Ltd., Chief Chike Madueke, noted that the restored Nigergas would provide training and thousands of employment for the youth of the state.
The Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu; community leader and health consultant, Dr. Joy Uduji; Chairman of Enugu East LGA, Pastor Beloved Dan Anike; and a businessman, Engr. George Ndubeze Ugwu, also commended Mbah for not only breathing life into dead state-owned assets, but for also building infrastructure that make lives better and enable businesses to thrive.
“You are the Nehemiah of our time. Like Nehemiah, who came and supervised the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, you have also come to rebuild Enugu State,” Dr. Uduji said.
Speaking, 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 here, we usually stay out late into the night at Nike, and we are safe.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Nigergas today.
