– As the AKK gas pipeline nears completion
Lagos — After briefing President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, the chief executive of Nigeria’s State Oil Company said that it was betting on a delayed gas pipeline to ignite an industrial revolution for the north.
Bashir Ojulari is the Group CEO of NNPC Ltd. He told reporters the company had completed the welding of the main line for the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta – Kaduna – Kano (AKK), including the crucial River Niger crossing – a feat which has slowed progress for years. This milestone will allow the pipeline to be connected early next year. According to Ojulari, this move “will bring gas into the northern part Nigeria.”
Ojulari stated that this isn’t just about energy. “It is a matter of industrialisation, i.e., fertiliser plants, gas-based industries, and power generation in Kaduna and Kano. We are expecting to see industrial parks sprout up.”
AKK, which was first conceived of in 2008, plays a central role in Nigeria’s desire to harness its vast reserves of gas for economic growth. The completion of the AKK pipeline could revolutionize northern Nigeria, where a lack in energy infrastructure and chronic power shortages have hindered manufacturing for decades. Ojulari revealed NNPC production targets. Oil production is expected to increase to 1.8million barrels per day – up from 1.7million this year – in 2026. Gas production will also continue to grow. He credited the structural reforms made under the Petroleum Industry ‘Act, which enabled NNPC operate as a profitable company and no longer rely on ‘federal allocations.
Ojulari stated that President Tinubu reiterated his call for $30 billion of new investments by 2030, and a 2 million barrels a day oil production by 2027.
*Ben Ezeamalu – OE Energy News
