The Federal Government has projected that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project will be completed for operations in the first quarter of 2025.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, gave the project’s completion timeline on Friday during the visit of three Ministers to the AKK Gas Pipeline Project Site where they inspected the River Kaduna crossing milestone of the project in Kaduna.
He assured the ministers: “Without promising too much, we assure you that this Project will be delivered on schedule. Our mission is to work towards delivering it by December this year. But we are confident this project will be delivered by 1st Quarter of 2025.”
Kyari who spoke on the strategic importance and enormous value of the project to the nation’s economic growth and industrialisation, disclosed that the NNPCL was financing the project on the back of its own balance sheet.
The three ministers who visited the project’s site were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olwale Edun; Minister of Information & National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris Malagi; and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo.
Speaking during the inspection visit, the Minister of Finance Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, described the AKK Gas pipeline as the pipeline of prosperity given its benefits in terms of delivering the critical infrastructure needed to support the nation’s economic growth and industrialisation.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris Malagi said the AKK Gas Pipeline project attested to the fact that the Federal Government’s “Decade of Gas” has commenced.
He said: “Nigerians should be proud of the AKK Gas Pipeline project. With the delivery of this project, the prosperity that Mr. President is always talking about is unravelling right here before our eyes.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the project was part of government’s many efforts to harness the nation’s abundant gas resources towards improving power generation, revamping ailing industries and creating employment opportunities in the country.
He urged all stakeholders to support the NNPC Ltd towards delivering the project and several other gas projects as the country depends on it to bring prosperity to the people.
The ministers commended the NNPC Ltd and its project partner, Brentex/CPP Ltd (BCL) on the progress made so far on the project and expressed optimism that the NNPC would meet the completion timeline.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Uba Sani, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, said the completion of the AKK gas pipeline would usher in an era of rapid economic and industrial transformation of the state.
The governor said: “If you know about the Kakuri Industrial Area and how most of our factories there have become moribund, you will understand why we in Kaduna State are all excited about the AKK Gas Pipeline. Without doubt, the pipeline will revamp our industries and bring about a huge impact on our people. We can’t wait for it to be completed.”
The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline is a 40 inch by 614 kilometre linear pipeline system from Akaojuta in Kogi State to Kano with associated intermediate terminal gas facilities and other related equipment to transport natural gas to off-takers at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kaduna and Kano states.
