Niger Gas, one of the leading gas companies in the eastern region, has resumed production after 35 years of inactivity.
Amos Ejisi, chief executive officer and managing director of the renovated company, located at the Emene Industrial Layout in Enugu State, disclosed this during an inspection tour of Governor Peter Mbah’s projects by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Correspondents’ Chapel, Enugu State.
Ejisi said the company was now better positioned to produce a wider range of industrial and medical gases, attributing the development to the state government’s determination to revive the company and ensure adequate gas supply to various industries.
According to him, Niger Gas is currently producing three types of gas, with plans to expand production as operations become fully established.
‘What we are producing as of today is acetylene, which welders use. We are also producing oxygen, which welders use, as well as another special type of oxygen called medical oxygen,’ Ejisi said.
He explained that medical oxygen was used in hospitals to support patients requiring respiratory assistance, adding that the company had the facilities and capacity to produce other gases, including argon, nitrous oxide and hydrogen.
‘We have the potential to produce other gases-argon, nitrous oxide and hydrogen. We have the facilities to do that, but we are starting one step at a time,’ he said.
Ejisi further disclosed that the company would soon expand its operations to include cooking gas and other products as part of its growth plans.
He said the revival of Niger Gas would also create significant employment opportunities for residents of Enugu State and the wider region, noting that the company had the capacity to employ more than 1,500 workers when operating at full capacity.
The development, he said, is expected to boost industrial activities in the state, improve access to locally produced industrial and medical gases, and contribute to the economic development of the South-East.