NNPC officials and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) during an inspection of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) says the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline will be activated for export operations in early 2026.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr Bashir Ojulari, disclosed this following a recent inspection tour of the project by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, alongside senior company executives.
Ojulari said the company has completed welding of the pipeline’s main line, including the long-delayed River Niger crossing, a major milestone that had stalled progress on the project for several years.
According to him, the achievement clears the way for final connections and commissioning of the pipeline early next year.
Once operational, Ojulari said the AKK pipeline would significantly expand gas supply to northern Nigeria, supporting electricity generation, fertiliser production and the growth of gas-based industries.
“This is not just about energy. It is about industrialisation,” he said, noting that the project is expected to stimulate manufacturing activities in Kaduna, Kano, Abuja and Ajaokuta, and encourage the development of industrial parks across the region.
First conceived in 2008, the AKK pipeline is a key part of Nigeria’s strategy to harness its vast gas reserves for economic growth and address long-standing power and infrastructure deficits in the north.
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Ojulari also briefed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on NNPC’s broader production outlook, saying crude oil output is projected to rise to 1.8 million barrels per day in 2026, up from about 1.7 million barrels per day currently, while gas production is expected to continue increasing.
He attributed the company’s improving performance to reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act, which have repositioned NNPC as a commercially driven entity no longer dependent on government funding.
According to Ojulari, President Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s target of attracting $30 billion in new energy investments by 2030 and raising oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027.
NNPC said the completion of the AKK pipeline would enhance energy security, boost power supply, and support nationwide industrial growth.
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