President Bola Tinubu has flagged off a $100 million gas distribution pipeline project designed to strengthen industrialisation, attract investments and create employment opportunities across Nigeria’s Southeast region.
The 400-kilometre pipeline will connect gas resources to industrial and commercial centres in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, establishing a regional distribution network intended to improve access to energy for businesses and manufacturers.
The investment agreement for the project was signed on Tuesday at the South-East Gas Infrastructure Investment and Project Development Ceremony held at Hotel Presidential in Enugu. Tinubu was represented at the event by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
The President described the initiative as a strategic investment aimed at linking the region’s natural gas resources with industries, strengthening manufacturing capacity and expanding economic opportunities across the five states. He said the project aligned with his administration’s plans to promote an integrated regional economy.
Tinubu said the pipeline would support manufacturing activities in Aba, reinforce industrial clusters in Nnewi and Onitsha, attract new businesses to Enugu and expand agro-processing and manufacturing in Ebonyi. The network is also expected to connect Imo State’s gas resources to industrial consumers throughout the region.
According to the project details presented at the ceremony, approximately 150 potential customers have been identified, with projected demand estimated at 254 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The proposed infrastructure is expected to provide industries with a more direct gas supply and reduce reliance on transporting compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas by road.
The Federal Government is implementing the initiative through the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), which has committed an initial $3 million towards the project. The commission is targeting regional investment participation of up to $30 million as part of efforts to mobilise additional funding from state governments, institutions and private investors for the wider development programme.
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah commended Tinubu for establishing the SEDC, describing the commission as an important institutional framework for advancing industrial development in the region. He said the project would support coordinated economic growth and create opportunities for young people to find employment within the Southeast.
Mbah also pledged the cooperation of Southeast governors in facilitating right-of-way arrangements and environmental impact assessment approvals required for the pipeline. Other state representatives at the ceremony expressed support for the initiative and called for cooperation among governments, host communities and project promoters to ensure its implementation.
Representing the project promoter, GasSync, Callistus Mba said the pipeline would originate from the Ohaji area of Imo State, pass through Owerri and branch towards Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in Anambra State, with extensions to Enugu and Ebonyi. He said construction was planned to begin at Ohaji and Onitsha simultaneously to accelerate delivery across the network.
Mba said procurement activities had commenced and preparations for engineering, procurement and construction were progressing, with construction targeted to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The project promoter projected that first gas delivery could commence in the second quarter of 2028, subject to funding arrangements, regulatory approvals, right-of-way clearances and other implementation requirements.
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