Anambra seeks inclusion in Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan as NCDMB urges journalists to promote local content and hold industry operators accountable.
Anambra State has renewed calls for greater access to its natural gas resources, insisting that the wealth beneath its soil must translate into electricity, industrial growth, employment and improved living standards for its people.
The call was made by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, during a Nigerian Content Media Stakeholders Workshop organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) at Golden Tulip, Awka.
Representing the state government, Mefor expressed concern that despite Anambra’s significant gas potential and its estimated oil production of 3,000 barrels per day, the state had yet to benefit adequately from the opportunities associated with the sector.
He called for Anambra’s proper inclusion in Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan, noting that direct access to gas could strengthen the state’s electricity ambitions, support industries, attract investment and create jobs.
Mefor also highlighted the opportunities presented by recent changes to Nigeria’s electricity laws, which allow greater participation by state governments in electricity generation, transmission and distribution. He noted that Anambra had established an Electricity Board but stressed that access to gas and the necessary infrastructure would be critical to achieving its power generation ambitions.
He pledged to escalate the concerns to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, whose administration is pursuing the vision of transforming Anambra into a smart mega city and a preferred destination for investment, business and living.
The commissioner further called for an educational system that equips young people with practical skills and entrepreneurial capacity to create businesses and employment rather than depend solely on existing jobs.
According to NCDMB statistics presented at the engagement, Imo State leads oil production in the South-East with approximately 17,000 barrels per day, followed by Abia with 11,000 barrels and Anambra with 3,000 barrels per day.
The discussions also highlighted the need to review the Gas Master Plan, assess the feasibility of establishing a gas hub in Anambra and strengthen engagement between the state government, federal institutions and industry operators.
Speaking at the workshop, the General Manager of Corporate Communications at NCDMB, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, urged journalists to intensify reporting on Nigerian Content policies, promote indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry and hold operators accountable for compliance with local content requirements.
He described the workshop as a strategic effort to strengthen collaboration between the Board and the media, improve industry reporting and educate citizens and businesses about opportunities across the oil and gas value chain.
Ezeobi explained that Nigerian Content policies are designed to build local capacity, strengthen indigenous enterprises, promote domestic manufacturing and ensure that more economic value generated by the oil and gas industry remains in Nigeria.
Established in 2010 following the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, the NCDMB considers the media a critical partner in advancing these objectives.
He noted that Anambra is home to prominent indigenous industry players, including Engineer Emeka Okwuosa of Oilserv and Dr. Ernest Nnaemeka Azudialu-Obiejesi of Nestoil Group, whose businesses demonstrate the potential for Nigerian enterprises to compete in the sector.
The workshop, the first edition of the Board’s annual media stakeholders engagement to be held in the South-East since the initiative began in Port Harcourt in 2019, featured presentations on the NCDMB’s mandate, programmes and achievements, as well as discussions on Nigerian Content and community development.
Participants also received guidance on reporting technical sectors such as oil and gas more effectively.
As Anambra pursues its industrialisation ambitions, the central challenge remains turning its natural resources into tangible economic benefits. This will require improved access to gas, investment in infrastructure, stronger local participation, relevant technical training and sustained collaboration between government, industry and other stakeholders.
Journalists, in particular, have been urged to keep the issues in public focus, highlight available opportunities and monitor progress towards ensuring that Anambra’s resources contribute meaningfully to electricity supply, business growth and job creation.
