NNPC: Nigeria's $2.8 Billion AKK Gas Pipeline to Commence Operation in 2026
- Nigeria's AKK gas pipeline expected to commence operations in early 2026, transforming energy landscape
- Completion of River Niger crossing marks a critical milestone for the long-delayed AKK pipeline project
- NNPC aims to attract $30 billion in investments by 2030, boosting Nigeria's oil and gas production
Nigeria’s long-delayed Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline is finally edging towards activation, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited announcing plans to commence export operations early in 2026.
The $2.8 billion AKK pipeline, one of the country’s most ambitious gas infrastructure projects, is expected to mark a turning point for Nigeria’s energy landscape, particularly in the northern region where electricity shortages have constrained industrial growth for decades.
Source: Twitter
A major update after the ministerial tour
NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, disclosed the timeline following a recent inspection tour of the project by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The tour also included NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Gas, Power, and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye.
The visit provided an opportunity for top government and industry officials to assess progress on a project that has faced repeated delays since it was first conceived in 2008.
For years, the AKK pipeline symbolised Nigeria’s struggle to convert its vast gas reserves into tangible economic benefits.
Critical milestone finally achieved
Ojulari revealed that NNPC has now completed welding the main pipeline, including the technically challenging River Niger crossing, a section that stalled construction for years.
According to him, this breakthrough has removed the biggest obstacle to completion and paved the way for connecting and activating the pipeline early next year.
“With the mainline welding completed, including the River Niger crossing, we are now clear to move into the final connection phase,” Ojulari said after briefing President Bola Tinubu on Sunday.
“Once activated, this pipeline will bring gas in its full form into the northern part of Nigeria.”
Power, industry, and jobs in focus
The AKK pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Ajaokuta in Kogi State through Kaduna to Kano, supplying gas for power generation, fertiliser production, and other gas-based industries.
Ojulari stressed that the project goes beyond energy delivery, describing it as a foundation for broad-based industrialisation across northern Nigeria.
“This is not just about energy,” he said. “It is about fertiliser plants, power generation, and gas-based industries in Kaduna, Kano, Abuja, and Ajaokuta. We expect industrial parks to spring up around these corridors.”
Analysts say improved access to gas could revive manufacturing activity in the region, lower production costs, and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Oil, gas targets and reform push
Beyond the pipeline, Ojulari outlined NNPC’s production outlook, noting that crude oil output is projected to rise to 1.8 million barrels per day in 2026 from about 1.7 million barrels per day this year. Gas production, he added, will continue its upward trajectory.
He attributed NNPC’s renewed momentum to reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act, which have repositioned the company as a commercially driven entity rather than one dependent on federal allocations.
Ojulari also said President Tinubu has reiterated his target of attracting $30 billion in new investments by 2030 and boosting oil production to 2 million barrels per day by 2027.
A new chapter for energy security
When fully operational, the AKK pipeline network is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, expand power supply, and unlock new economic opportunities across multiple regions.
Source: UGC
For a project long seen as a symbol of delay, its near-completion signals a shift from promise to delivery, raising hopes that gas will finally play its central role in Nigeria’s industrial future.
NNPC announces plan to resume oil search in the North
Legit.ng earlier reported that NNPC Ltd will resume crude oil drilling in the Kolmani field, located on the boundary of Bauchi and Gombe states, in June.
This was disclosed by Bayo Ojulari, NNPC limited group chief executive officer while speaking to BBC Hausa Service on Monday, May 12.
In the interview, Ojulari said that work would also resume on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, adding that both projects were vital to the country’s economic development.
Source: Legit.ng
