Industrial & Medical Gases Nigeria Plc (IMGas) was founded in 1959 as the Nigerian subsidiary of the British Oxygen Company (BOC), to provide locally produced industrial and medical gases at a time when Nigeria was laying the groundwork for rapid industrialization.
Its creation ensured that critical sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and healthcare had a reliable domestic source of high-quality gases, reducing dependence on costly imports, with a portfolio including oxygen, nitrogen, acetylene, argon, and carbon dioxide, as well as specialized gas mixtures for laboratories and industry.
The company was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1979 and commissioned a 600 kg/hr merchant liquid carbon dioxide plant in Lagos five years later.
It changed its name from Industrial Gases Limited to BOC Gases Nigeria Plc in 1997 and eventually to Industrial and Medical Gases Plc in 2021.
IMGas runs a network of production and distribution facilities strategically located across Nigeria, supported by advanced technology and robust logistics; it commissioned a 1,000 kg/hr merchant carbon dioxide plant in Lagos in 2004 and a 13tpd merchant air separation unit in Port Harcourt in 2014.
In 2006, The Linde Group AG acquired 60% of the company, with the remaining being held by Nigerian shareholders.
In healthcare, IMGas has been indispensable. Its medical oxygen is a lifeline for hospitals and emergency facilities nationwide. This contribution was particularly crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, when IMGas rapidly scaled up oxygen production and distribution to support Nigeria’s health system at a time of global supply strain.
Beyond healthcare, IMGas also serves other sectors like oil and gas, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing.
