The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced a significant breakthrough in its \$2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project, confirming the successful crossing of the River Niger by contractors—a segment previously described as one of the most technically and commercially challenging aspects of the project.
The announcement was made by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, during his keynote address at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week Conference in Abuja on Tuesday. This was Ojulari’s first address to industry leaders and stakeholders since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
Themed “Accelerating Global Energy Progress Through Investment, Partnerships & Innovation,” the event brought together players across the oil and gas sector.Ojulari highlighted that the River Niger crossing had long been a bottleneck in the AKK pipeline’s timeline. He said the milestone was achieved through technical innovation and complex commercial renegotiations, including bringing in expertise not previously available within the country.
He assured stakeholders that, by the grace of God, the project would be completed before the end of the year and would deliver gas to multiple markets across Nigeria, particularly supporting industrial expansion in the northern region.
“We all know the story of the AKK. I don’t need to start talking about it. But one of the biggest challenges that the project has faced was the ability to cross the River Niger.
“So there is tough technical challenges. The team of NNPCL has had to work with the contractors to bring in specialist capability that was not available, very difficult commercial rearrangements.“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to announce to you today that we have crossed the River Niger,” Ojulari said.
