The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) on Friday said the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project would be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
Group Chief Executive Officer of the national oil company, Mr. Mele Kyari, made this known during the visit of three ministers to the project site where they inspected the River Kaduna crossing milestone of the project in Kaduna.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, in a statement in Abuja, quoted Kyari as stressing that major segments of the job had already been completed.
“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 the 1st quarter of 2025,” Kyari informed the three visiting ministers.
The GCEO, who said the NNPC recognises the strategic importance and enormous value of the project to Nigeria’s economy, stressed that the company was bankrolling the project from its own balance sheet.
The three ministers who visited the project site were: the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Information & National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
Speaking at the project site, Edun described the AKK gas pipeline as the pipeline of prosperity, which is very dear to President Bola Tinubu, because it will deliver the critical infrastructure needed to trigger the nation’s economic growth and industrialisation.
“The AKK gas pipeline is crucial for this administration and its delivery is in line with Mr. President’s strategy of bringing prosperity to the people,” Edun added.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris said the AKK project was a testimony to the fact that the federal government’s “Decade of Gas” had commenced in earnest.
“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,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekpo, said the pipeline was part of the federal 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.
Ekpo urged all stakeholders to support the NNPC towards delivering the project and several other gas projects as the country depends on it to bring prosperity to the people.
The three ministers, who lauded the NNPC and its project partner, Brentex/CPP Ltd (BCL) on the progress made so far, also expressed optimism that the NNPC will deliver as promised.
In his speech, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Uba Sani, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, said the completion of the AKK gas pipeline will herald the much-needed economic and industrial revival in the state.
“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 governor added.
The AKK pipeline project is a 40 inch by 614km linear pipeline system running from Ajaokuta in Kogi State to Kano with associated intermediate, terminal gas facilities and other related equipment to transport natural gas to off-takers at Abuja, Kaduna and Kaduna.
Olawale Ajimotokan and Emmanuel Addeh
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