By Emeka Amaefula
HOPE UZODINMA FLAGS OFF MODULAR REFINERY PROJECT IN NEKEDE — A NEW ERA FOR IMO’S OIL & GAS ECONOMY
BY EMEKA AMAEFULA
It began quietly—like most major shifts in history. Somewhere in Nekede, a bustling semi-urban community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, the first pegs were hammered into the ground. Surveyors appeared. Boundary maps unfurled. And what followed was more than a construction routine—it was a defining step toward what may soon become Imo State’s first government-backed modular refinery.
According to official notices from the Office of the Surveyor-General of Imo State, landowners whose properties fall within the proposed refinery site have been instructed to present their documents for verification, in accordance with the Land Use Act of 1978. Radio and newspaper announcements have since circulated widely, urging families to tender deeds, receipts, and traditional agreements to qualify for compensation.
THE RETURN OF AN OLD PROMISE
For decades, Imo State has nurtured the dream of an indigenous oil and gas economy. That dream is deeply rooted in one historic location—Iho Dimeze in Ikeduru LGA, where in 1951, Shell D’Arcy Petroleum Development Company of West Africa drilled the first exploratory oil well in Eastern Nigeria.
The event drew a crowd. Among them was the legendary Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was the Premier of the Eastern Region later Governor General of Federal Republic of Nigeria, accompanied by key government officials. Oil flowed—but the promise eventually dissolved. The prosperity of crude oil later found its home in the Niger Delta, while the Owerri hinterland, despite its hydrocarbon potential, slipped into obscurity.
But history was never lost—only overlooked.
Documents retrieved from the National Archives by journalist and researcher Emeka Amaefula reveal evidence of Shell’s land acquisition and compensation payments at Umuakpim village in-Ihuo, where installations once operated by SPDC have since been transferred to Renaissance Africa Energy Ltd.
THE NEW ENERGY FRONTIER — OML 50 & IHEOMA MARGINAL FIELD
Today, the Nekede refinery site falls within the Iheoma Marginal Oil Field, a section of the broader Oil Mining Lease OML 50, currently operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The Imo Petroleum Development Company (ISCPDC) also holds exploratory rights under PPL 226, which covers parts of Nekede and Ikeduru. Thus, Imo Petroleum Development Company Ltd with CAC registered number RC 381896 and Imo state Government has licensed Equity shares of 73.4% being the largest share while Prime Sources Ltd has 20.37% as Nepal Oil and Gas Services has 4.02%. Then, Jovis Project Ltd owns 1.77% in Imo state Petroleum Development Company Ltd.
On November 11, 2025, the Member representing Ikeduru State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Johnleoba Iheoha, moved a landmark motion calling on Governor Uzodimma to advance full-scale development of Ikeduru’s hydrocarbon deposits.
According to him, the region is not just rich in natural gas and crude oil—it has decades of geological evidence proving commercial quantities.
THE MODULAR REFINERY PROJECT — WHAT IT MEANS FOR IMO
Once completed, the Nekede Modular Refinery is expected to: create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Imo youths;reduce reliance on imported petroleum products; boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR);position Imo as a major inland energy hub and stimulate allied industries such as petrochemicals, power, plastics, and logistics.
For a state whose economy has long depended on civil service and trade, this refinery represents much more than infrastructure—it is the beginning of industrial rebirth.
A STORY STILL BEING WRITTEN
From the historic drilling at Iho Dimeze in 1951…
To the archived Shell compensation records…
To the legislative push of 2025…
Imo State’s oil narrative has waited decades for the right alignment of history, policy, and political will.That moment may have finally arrived.
With heavy machinery already on ground and government files aligning with archival evidence, Imo’s question is no longer “Is there oil here?”
The question now is: “Will Imo finally benefit from the oil beneath its soil?” The pegs in Nekede may be the first answer.
IMO GOVERNMENT CONDUCTS LAND CLAIMS SURVEY FOR PROPOSED MODULAR REFINERY PROJECT
The Imo State Government has officially launched a comprehensive land claims verification exercise in preparation for the development of its proposed Modular Refinery project in Nekede, Owerri North Local Government Area.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Office of the Surveyor-General of Imo State, marks a critical step in the government’s industrialisation agenda and its commitment to harnessing local oil and gas resources.
In a public announcement, the Surveyor-General Surv. Dr. Uzodinma Bob Odidika confirmed that approximately 30.6 hectares of land have been designated for acquisition for operational use in the Iheoma Marginal Field located in Umudibi and neighboring communities in Nekede.
The claims verification exercise commenced on Friday, November 14, 2025, and is scheduled to end on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
The government has called on all affected stakeholders—including families, landowners, community leaders, and other interest groups—to present valid documentation, landmarks, and evidence to support their ownership claims. Officials emphasized that no extension of the deadline will be granted.
This announcement follows an earlier public notice published by the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning in the Nigerian Horn Newspaper on September 19, 2025, invoking Sections 28 and 29 of the Land Use Act of 1978, which empower government to acquire land for overriding public interest.
According to the state, the establishment of the modular refinery will:Drive economic growth;Create employment opportunities;Strengthen local refining capacity; reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and create an enabling environment for industrial investment.
In an endorsement of the process, the Office of the Governor—led by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Odidika Uzodimma (CON, GSSRS)—reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transparency, due process, legal compliance, and community engagement.
The government reiterated that the ongoing claims survey is both a statutory requirement and a transparent guarantee that all rightful landowners will be identified, compensated, and involved in the development process.
As the verification continues, residents of affected communities are encouraged to cooperate fully, provide genuine documents, and support the implementation of a project set to reshape the economic future of Owerri North and Imo State at large.
The Surveyor-General assured that all validated claims will be processed in line with legal provisions and global best practices.
————–Emeka Amaefula ——–+234(0)8111813069—-
