The South-East Development Commission and its partners have signed an investment agreement for a proposed 400-kilometer gas distribution network intended to connect industrial centers across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. The first phase is projected to cost about $100 million, with the commission committing an initial $3 million.
At a ceremony in Enugu, President Bola Tinubu, represented by Deputy House Speaker Benjamin Kalu, said reliable gas infrastructure could support manufacturing, agro-processing and new industrial investment. Officials identified approximately 150 prospective customers and projected demand of 254 million standard cubic feet a day, although those figures remain forecasts rather than contracted deliveries.
The proposed route would draw on gas resources near Ohaji in Imo State and extend through major commercial centers including Owerri, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Ebonyi. Project promoter GasSync said construction could begin from Ohaji and Onitsha simultaneously, helping shorten the time before supply reaches multiple states.
South-East governors and their representatives expressed support while calling for measurable benefits and community cooperation. Commission chief executive Mark Okoye said technical, legal and financial reviews had preceded its initial investment, and that broader regional participation could reach $30 million. Project representatives are targeting construction in the first quarter of 2027 and first gas in the second quarter of 2028, subject to financing, procurement, permits and execution.
