The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has completed the main pipeline of the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, marking a major milestone in efforts to expand gas supply and industrial activity across northern Nigeria.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Sunday following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.
Ojulari said the completion of the main line paves the way for the next phase of the project, which will focus on linking facilities and distribution infrastructure to enable gas delivery to key northern cities.
According to him, the milestone was achieved after overcoming long-standing technical challenges, including the complex River Niger crossing, which had delayed progress for several years.
“You remember sometime in summer, we were able to cross the River Niger, which has been a struggle for many years,” Ojulari said.
“By completing this main line, what that means is that we can begin to make all the connections to the pipeline, which we will do in the earlier part of next year. And why that is very important is that it brings gas in its full form into the northern part of Nigeria,” he added.
Ojulari explained that the pipeline will supply gas to Kaduna, Kano, Ajaokuta, and Abuja, supporting the development of industrial parks, gas-based industries, fertiliser plants, and power generation facilities, thereby accelerating industrialisation in the region.
He attributed recent improvements in NNPC’s operations to ongoing structural reforms, noting that oil production has increased from about 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024 to over 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025.
Gas production has also risen, climbing from approximately 6.5 billion standard cubic feet per day to over 7 billion standard cubic feet per day, a development Ojulari said reflects the impact of internal restructuring and renewed investment decisions.
The completion of the AKK pipeline main line positions NNPC to significantly expand gas availability in northern Nigeria, a region historically constrained by limited energy infrastructure.
Ojulari said the company’s key focus in 2026 will be on further increasing oil and gas production by attracting fresh investments, with a target of at least 1.8 million barrels per day in oil output next year.
He disclosed that President Tinubu has mandated NNPC to attract $30 billion in investments by 2030 and raise oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027, underscoring the strategic importance of the AKK gas pipeline to Nigeria’s long-term energy security and industrial growth agenda.
In July, NNPC Ltd had announced the successful completion of the River Niger crossing, previously regarded as one of the most technically challenging segments of the AKK project.
The 614-kilometre AKK pipeline is designed to transport 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, significantly strengthening Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation and supporting economic development across the northern corridor.
Nairametrics
