The South East Patriots (SEP) have issued a passionate open letter to governors, business leaders, and political stakeholders from the South-East region, urging them to unite behind an ambitious plan to build a regional gas infrastructure network that would power the region’s industrial revival and end decades of energy dependency.
In the letter titled “Open Letter to South-East Governors, Business Leaders and Political Stakeholders on the Urgent Need for a South-East Regional Gas Infrastructure Partnership,” the group described the project as “the irreducible minimum demand of the South-East in the current political era.”
According to the statement signed by Sir Obunike C. Ohaegbu, KSJI, National Coordinator of SEP, and Ezesinachi Ukpor, the South-East stands “at a defining moment” in its economic and political history. The group said that for too long, the people of the region have driven the engines of commerce across Nigeria, yet their homeland remains without the critical infrastructure that powers true industrialisation — affordable gas energy.
They proposed the construction of a 245-kilometre medium-pressure gas pipeline network linking Aba, Nnewi, Onitsha, Awka, Enugu, Abakaliki, and Owerri, which could reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent and attract new industries to the region. SEP outlined a three-phase plan for the project comprising the Aba–Nnewi–Onitsha corridor, the Aba–Owerri link, and the Onitsha–Awka–Enugu–Abakaliki extension. The group estimated the total cost at USD 350 million, describing it as modest by national standards given its potential to transform the South-East into Nigeria’s manufacturing hub.
SEP called for the immediate creation of a Regional Public-Private Gas Partnership (RPPGP) involving the governments of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States; private-sector anchors such as Innoson, Ibeto, Cutix, Chicason, Emzor, Coscharis, and Orange Drugs; and technical partners including NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG). Each state, the group said, can provide land and rights-of-way, while industries offer investment and long-term supply guarantees. “This model worked in Aba — it can work for the whole South-East,” SEP added.
The Patriots also challenged South-East politicians aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure that the region’s gas infrastructure is included in the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas Initiative. “True political participation is measured not by proximity to power, but by the results we bring home,” the letter stated.
SEP revealed that several development finance institutions are ready to support the project if regional stakeholders demonstrate commitment. These include Afreximbank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Bank of Industry (BOI), and the Sovereign Green Fund and Climate Investment Platform (CIP). The group urged immediate coordination among the South-East governors and private sector leaders to prepare a unified regional feasibility document.
Citing examples from other regions that have leveraged gas to grow their industries, SEP warned that the South-East risks permanent economic marginalisation if it fails to act. “The destiny of the South-East will not be written in promises but in pipelines,” the letter declared. “We have the opportunity — and the obligation — to connect our region to the national gas grid and power the next century of Igbo enterprise.”
The South East Patriots describe themselves as a non-partisan coalition committed to Equity, Energy, and Enterprise. Their vision, they said, is to make the South-East the economic hub of Nigeria, driven by evidence-based regional development and active political engagement. The statement concluded with a reminder that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had in 2022 pledged to support the South-East gas corridor project and called on all political actors to clarify their positions on the initiative.
Such a simple yet powerful message. Thanks for this.
This made me rethink some of my assumptions. Really valuable post.