BOC Gases Nigeria Plc was established in Oshodi Isolo, Lagos, under the name of Industrial Gases Plc (Nigeria) Limited (IGL) in 1959. The company is the market leader in West Africa for production and distribution of industrial gases, including argon, nitrogen carbon dioxide and oxygen as well as welding products. In 1997 Industrial Gases Plc changed to BOC Gases Nigeria Plc. In 2006, The Linde Group AG, a global leader in gases, engineering and technology solutions, acquired 60% of BOC Gases Nigeria Plc with the balance being held by Nigerian shareholders. As a member of The Linde Group, BOC Nigeria also has access to the continent's biggest industrial gases and welding products group, African Oxygen Limited (Afrox), which operates in South Africa and 10 other African countries.
