The absence of adequate gas infrastructure has been identified as a major obstacle to industrialisation in Imo State, despite the state’s abundant natural gas reserves and the presence of one of Nigeria’s largest gas processing projects.
The position was contained in an opinion article published on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by Nnakire Obani, a Mbaise-born public affairs commentator from Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency in Imo State, who argued that the future of industrialisation in Imo lies not only in producing natural gas but in building the infrastructure needed to deliver it to industries, power plants, businesses and households.
According to the article, the Assa North–Ohaji South (ANOH) Gas Project in Ohaji/Egbema has the capacity to process about 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and was designed to boost domestic gas supply, produce liquefied petroleum gas, condensate and cleaner energy for industrial and power generation.
Obani wrote, “The future of industrialisation in Imo State does not lie in merely producing gas, it lies in delivering gas to factories, industries, power plants, transport operators and households.”
He argued that while gas is extracted from Imo, much of its economic value is realised outside the state because there is no functional gas distribution network connecting industrial layouts, commercial centres and institutions to the resource.
Drawing a comparison with Ogun State, Obani said the state’s industrial success was driven by deliberate investment in infrastructure rather than natural resource abundance.
He stated, “Manufacturers choose locations where electricity is reliable, transportation is efficient, land is accessible and energy costs are low.”
The article proposed the establishment of an Imo State Gas Infrastructure Programme under a Public-Private Partnership model to develop a gas transmission backbone, industrial gas parks and a state-wide distribution network linking major industrial and commercial hubs across Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe, Oguta, Mbaise and Ohaji.
According to the proposal, expanding gas infrastructure would lower energy costs for manufacturers, attract investors, stimulate industrial growth, create jobs and improve electricity supply across the state.
Summing up his position, Obani wrote, “Imo State has the raw material.”
“Ogun State has the infrastructure.”
“Our mission should be to combine both.”
The argument aligns with Nigeria’s broader drive to expand domestic gas utilisation through investments in gas infrastructure, with industry experts maintaining that pipeline networks and reliable gas distribution remain essential to unlocking industrial growth across the country.