Nigeria launches $100m gas pipeline project in South East

The Federal Government has launched a $100 million gas distribution pipeline project in Nigeria's South East to boost industrialisation and create jobs. The South East Development Commission signed the investment agreement on Tuesday at Hotel Presidential in Enugu.

The 400-kilometre pipeline will connect gas resources to industrial and commercial centres across Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states. About 150 potential customers have been identified, with projected demand of 254 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

“The Commission was established to provide sustained institutional attention to the region's reconstruction, rehabilitation and long-term development.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, described the project as a strategic investment to strengthen manufacturing and unlock economic opportunities. He said the prosperity of the South East is inseparable from the prosperity of Nigeria.

Tinubu said the pipeline would benefit manufacturers in Aba, strengthen industrial clusters in Nnewi and Onitsha, attract enterprises to Enugu, expand agro-processing in Ebonyi and connect Imo's gas resources to the regional economy.

The President said the South East Development Commission was established to provide sustained institutional attention to reconstruction, rehabilitation and long-term development. He commended Chairman Dr. Emeka Wogu and Managing Director Mark Okoye for advancing the initiative.

Tinubu said he assented to the legislation establishing the commission in July 2024. He stressed that gas infrastructure must serve industries and markets rather than stop at political boundaries.

The Commission was established to be an institution of delivery and not just another bureaucracy. Success will be measured by investments mobilised, infrastructure enabled, opportunities created and lives improved.