Ìgbò Land Has The Highest Gas Deposits In Africa – And Crude Oil Was First Discovered In Igbo Land

Did you know that Igbo land has the highest amount of natural gas deposits in Africa?

Well, yes. Imo state boasts 200 trillion cubic feet of natural Gas. While the five core Eastern states, including other Igbo areas in the South-South all boast of having crude oil in various quantities – some large, others small. 

And it is indeed something to be proud of, in a country where we are called a small hole in a dot, and made to believe that we have no natural resources that we bring to the table or bargaining power.

In this article, we will be looking at the availability of natural gas in Igbo land, in tremendous quantity. Also, we will bring to light other natural resources we have as Ndi Igbo, especially crude oil, as a means of enlightening our people on how blessed our land is. 

A History Of Oil And Gas Exploration In Igbo Land

The majority of our people don’t know this, but Oil was first discovered in 1928 at Ngusu (Nguzu), in Edda, present-day Ebonyi State – Igbo land.

Around this period crude oil was also discovered in Agwu, In present-day Enugwu State, and Anam in Present day Anambra State, according to colonial records. 

Crude oil was then discovered in 1937 in Iho Dimeze, in Ikeduru Local Government area of the present-day Imo state, by Shell Petroleum, then known as Shell D’Arcy. Oil was also found around that time in Egbema, Oguta, and Ohaji in present-day Imo state. 

For this, the oil company established its operational base in Owerri popularly known as Shell Camp Owerri. But Shell later abandoned the oil well in Iho Dimeze and left for Oloibiri in Rivers state where it claimed to have found oil in large commercial quantities in 1957. This gave rise to the false narrative of Oloibiri being the first oil discovery in Nigeria. Today, Nigerian are divided against each other in an argument over this distorted history.  

However, before Oloibiri in Rivers State, another crude oil deposit was discovered in 1956 in Ezi Edda, in Edda, present-day Ebonyi State by Shell BPC.

Between 1952 and 1986 three companies namely; Shell BP (now SPDC), ELF (now Total Fina Elf), and AGIP Energy, drilled 25 exploration wells, 2 appraisal wells, and eight-core drill wells under the entire Anambra Basin which is between Odeke and Aguleri communities of Kogi and Anambra.

While exploration for crude was going on in Igbo land, a lot of oil wells that were drilled, especially in the current Imo state axis, had high contents of gas deposit and of course, the emphasis at that time was not on gas but on crude, so such oil wells were capped and abandoned.

Crude Oil Presence In Igbo Land Today 

Today, Abia state has over 100 crude oil wells in the state. Abia which is also the fourth largest oil-producing state in Nigeria also has 3 installed flow stations and a gas plant associated with NNPC. It was gathered that the state produces about 36,000 barrels per day with 23,000 coming from Imoturu and the rest from other crude oil wells.

Imo state has about 163 crude oil wells. They are located in Oguta, Egbema, Orlu East, Orlu West, Iho, Obowo, and Ngorkpoala.

Anambra State has oil wells in Nzam, Alo, Ogbu, Ameshi, and Enyie.

Enugwu despite not having any oil well is known for her large deposit of coal. The coal in Enugwu state is capable of generating constant electricity for about 5 countries in Africa. The state also has a large deposit of natural gas.

Ebonyi state has deposits of mineral resources like Lead, crude oil, and natural gas. 

The Gas Deposit In Igbo Land

According to recent reports from the global oil and gas industry, Imo state holds over 200 trillion cubic feet of gas deposits and is currently the highest producer of Gas in Nigeria and also in West Africa.

Today, Ndi Igbo has abundant gas deposit which is fully explored in Ohaji/Egbema local government in a place called Assa.

With the untapped Natural gas in Enugwu and Ebonyi, we can say that almost all states/regions in Igbo land have the potential to possess gas deposits since almost all Igbo states and regions have communities that have crude oil. 

Igbo land makes Nigeria the African country with the highest amount of Natural gas, with the Imo state owning above 200 trillion cubic feet out of the 206.53 which Nigeria uses to top the list.

The Need For Us To Be Firm In Demanding The Protection Of Our Environments, From Oil And Gas Companies.

What we must now look at as a people is how these gas deposits and crude oil well will benefit Ndi Igbo and the host communities that house them. In this regard we must look at the states that have crude oil in Nigeria and examine how the masses have benefitted – are they any better than citizens from states that do not possess crude oil or gas deposits?

When we did the analysis, we found out that the states with crude oil and gas deposits are the least financially prudent states, leaving their citizenry with nothing to show for the natural resources they possess. There are no jobs and good social amenities for the people whose lands carry these gas and crude oil deposits. Looting and mismanagement of resources and funds in the oil-producing states in Nigeria, now points to the reality of an “oil curse”, instead of an “oil boom” in Nigeria.  

In Nigeria, the political thieves are more interested in getting into government in the oil-producing states, because of the 13% derivation funds that go to the oil-producing states. The politicians and their looting of the common patrimony and resources of the people are a curse to the citizenry, on the state level and the national level.

One integral aspect of this oil and gas curse is the degradation of the soil and water bodies. Farmers can’t farm, because of oil seepage, and fishermen can’t fish because the rivers and lakes have been contaminated by oil spills. 

Foreign oil companies in partnership with state governments and the Nigerian Federal government drill, extract and export the crude oil to their countries to refine, while leaving the soil and water of the indigenous peoples in ruins and degraded.

The crude oil exported to foreign lands (United States Of America, United Kingdom, etc.), is then refined there and sold to our oil importers, who in turn sell the PMS (fuel) at high prices to the suffering masses. This oil which was seen as a blessing by the indigenous peoples has now become a curse.  

The curse we have in Nigeria is our political elites and their foreign partners who connive to deprive Nigerians of the benefits of their natural resources beneath their feet. 

So, we as Ndi Igbo must demand our politicians to do right by us by using the oil and gas deposits in our land for the betterment of our people. This is because the gas in Igbo land, Imo state, in particular, will last Nigeria for the next 50 years and more. And we must demand that our political leaders put the future of the region first.

If you go to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, etc., you see their oil money work for them – you see their citizens benefit from the oil and gas boom. We must demand that the oil and gas discovered and explored in Igbo land must be utilized in a way that would make the lives of the people better – not worse.

So, we ask that our politicians are prudent with the proceeds from the oil and gas in Igboland. We ask that the foreign companies who are drilling and exporting these oil and gas should put the host communities first, and make sure that they benefit from the resources, even as their lands, waters, and atmosphere are devastated by oil spillage and gas flaring.

This Piece Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, Voice Of The Sun

---

Please Support and DONATE To Us. Help Us In Preserving Our History, Culture and Beliefs as Ndi Igbo. CLICK HERE to assist us financially.