Effiong Okon, the managing director of the ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited (AGPC), has declared that the company’s $850 million investment is a strategic commitment to building prosperity and lifting communities out of poverty, not merely an infrastructure project.
Okon made this assertion during the flag-off of the 3rd edition of AGPC’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the Sight First Medical Outreach Program, in Assa, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area.
The event, themed “Restoring Sight, Renewing Hope,” became a platform for the MD to articulate a broader vision for AGPC’s role in the Niger Delta, linking the company’s industrial might directly to human development.
“The goal isn’t just to build a gas plant; it’s to build prosperity and lift people out of poverty,” Okon stated, drawing applause from community leaders, traditional rulers, and government officials in attendance. “If an investment doesn’t improve lives, it’s meaningless.”
He contrasted the current reality in Assa with its recent past, recalling a time when the area was considered unsafe. “A few years ago, people said nobody wanted to live here. But look at what we saw just days ago during the STEM program, hundreds of bright children, full of energy and dreams. That’s the future we’re building,” he noted, highlighting the transformative power of sustained investment and partnership.
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Okon commended the host communities for their peace and cooperation, which he described as the bedrock enabling AGPC to operate and invest with confidence. He reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment, projecting a presence spanning 30 to 40 years and beyond.
In his formal address, Okon described the initiative as an expression of AGPC’s “humanity and social conscience.”
“Sight is one of life’s most precious gifts. Sadly, many are denied this blessing due to preventable or treatable eye conditions. For them, loss of vision is not just a medical issue; it’s a loss of dignity and hope. This is why we are here, to restore both sight and dignity,” he said.
The program’s tangible impact highlighted the company’s commitment. To date, over 4,000 patients have benefited from the outreach, with more than 211 undergoing successful corrective surgeries, turning “tears of darkness into tears of joy,” as described by Chibuzor Obinna, Chairman of the Impacted Community Management Board.
The company’s efforts received strong validation from community representatives. Asilonu Utti, Chairman of the Host Community Management Board, lauded AGPC as “the one to beat,” stating that every family in Assa has felt the company’s impact through employment, contracts, or CSR programs.
“In just six to seven years, AGPC has rewritten our story,” Utti said. “Even the so-called ‘bad boys’ protect AGPC because everyone benefits.”
While commending the initiatives, he also appealed for further intervention in internal road construction and expanded healthcare, expressing optimism about the future. “You have not even started making revenue, yet you are touching lives. Imagine the transformation when production begins, it will be massive.”
The regent king of Ohoba, Fidelis Armstrong, also commended AGPC’s developmental impact and called for strengthened security collaboration to safeguard the investments that are fostering peace and prosperity.
