NNPCL Crosses River Niger in $2.8B AKK Gas Pipeline Project
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced a significant engineering breakthrough in the construction of the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, with contractors successfully completing the crossing of the River Niger.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NNPCL described the milestone as a critical step forward in the 614-kilometre, 40-inch pipeline designed to transport natural gas from Ajaokuta in Kogi State to Kano, traversing Abuja and Kaduna.
The crossing of the River Niger one of the most technically challenging phases of the project was achieved using advanced horizontal directional drilling techniques, minimizing environmental disruption and ensuring structural safety.
The AKK pipeline forms a central part of Nigeria’s long-term energy infrastructure vision to boost domestic gas utilization, industrialization, and electricity generation in northern Nigeria.
Once completed, the project is expected to supply over 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, serving power plants, industries, and other end-users across central and northern Nigeria.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, hailed the development as a “bold step toward energy security and national economic revival.”
He reiterated the government’s commitment to completing the project within the projected timeframe, stressing its importance in stimulating investments, reducing energy poverty, and transitioning Nigeria into a gas-powered economy.
The AKK pipeline is one of the flagship projects under Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Initiative, and part of the broader Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline Network, designed to ultimately connect with the proposed Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which aims to export Nigerian gas to Europe through Niger and Algeria.
With the River Niger crossing now behind, the project is expected to gather pace toward final completion and commissioning, anticipated in 2025.
