President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the $800 million Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ima Gas Project, describing it as a major step towards unlocking Nigeria’s long-dormant gas resources for industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.
The project, being developed by Nigerian independent exploration and production company AMNI International in partnership with TotalEnergies, involves an offshore gas resource in Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 112 and 117 that was discovered in 1973 but remained undeveloped for more than five decades.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
According to the statement, the Ima Gas Project is expected to produce about 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day at peak, with the development expected to contribute to the supply of feedgas for Nigeria LNG Limited.
President Tinubu said the investment demonstrated what could be achieved by creating a competitive and predictable environment capable of attracting investment into Nigeria’s energy sector.
“For more than fifty years, the gas beneath Ima remained a resource with enormous potential, but potential alone does not create jobs, finance businesses or improve the lives of our people,” the President said.
“Our responsibility has been to create the conditions that turn Nigeria’s natural resources into productive investments and economic opportunities.”
Tinubu said his administration would continue efforts to unlock more of Nigeria’s gas resources to support industries, expand exports, create jobs and promote long-term economic prosperity.
The Ima development represents the fourth major gas project to reach FID since the President assumed office, following the Iseni, Ubeta and HI projects, according to the statement.
The President’s Special Adviser on Energy, Ms Olu Verheijen, said the Ima project illustrated the objective of the government’s reforms aimed at creating the commercial and investment conditions required to move Nigeria’s resources from discovery to production.
“A gas discovery made in 1973 can only contribute to prosperity when somebody invests the capital to develop it, banks finance it, contractors build it, Nigerians work on it, and the gas is ultimately put to productive use,” she said.
The project also highlights the role of indigenous participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, with AMNI International, a Nigerian-owned company, holding a majority interest in the asset. The State House said Nigerian financial institutions have arranged 77 per cent of the project’s financing, while about 60 per cent of the project workforce is expected to come from host communities, including Bonny, Finima and Andoni in Rivers State.
Separately, TotalEnergies said it holds a 40 per cent interest in the project, while AMNI holds 60 per cent, with production expected to commence in 2028. The company said the field is designed to reach a plateau of about 350 million standard cubic feet per day and supply roughly one-third of the gas required for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion.
The Tinubu administration said its gas strategy is focused not only on increasing production but also on putting the resource to productive use through LNG exports, industrial feedstock, fertiliser and petrochemical production, improved power supply and expanded opportunities for Nigerian businesses and workers.
“Natural resources have value only when they are converted into opportunities for our people. Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s gas powers Nigerian prosperity,” Tinubu said.
