Nigeria has become the latest African nation to develop an impressive energy infrastructure that positions the central African nation as a regional leader in the energy market. The nation’s state-owned oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, has noted that the AKK gas pipeline is moving towards completion later this year, setting Nigeria up to start 2026 on the right foot.
Gas and LNG production are set to play a crucial part in the energy market this year
As the world enters the new year, the question that has lingered since last year is whether the nations of the world will finally end their reliance on traditional energy generation processes and instead invest more in the renewable energy market. While some are leading the way, others have no choice but to continue to rely on gas.
Nigeria is one such nation that still needs the conventional gas sector as the nation aims to revolutionize the energy market in the North, potentially setting the stage for a new era of gas production in Nigeria. The state-owned NNPC has noted that the welding process at the AKK gas pipeline is complete.
The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline is heading towards completion soon
In an update to Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, the chief executive of the state-owned oil company has stated that the welding process on the AKK gas pipeline is now complete, following years of delays and infrastructure issues that pushed the project back significantly.
The AKK pipeline is advancing following a lengthy development process
The AKK gas pipeline has been developed by the NNPC for nearly twenty years now, with the original concept first being developed in 2008. Now the Group CEO of NNPC, Bashir Ojulari, has stated that the welding on the pipeline is now complete.
The completion of the pipeline was held up by the River Niger crossing, stalling the project for years. Thankfully, the pipeline is now moving forward towards a completion date this year after navigating the substantial hurdles that delayed the pipeline.
The AKK Pipeline is essential to Nigeria’s economic advancement in the North
The substantial AKK pipeline has become a crucial step for Nigeria as the country aims to “bring gas in its full form into the northern part of Nigeria,” as noted by Bashir Ojulari, Group CEO of NNPC. The 381-mile gas pipeline is set to cost upwards of $2.8 billion.
Ojulari has stated that the pipeline project aims to deliver vast amounts of gas to the Northern regions of Nigeria, which have suffered due to a lack of infrastructure and improvements in energy resources. As several new pipeline projects near completion this year, Africa is developing possibilities for the midstream market.
Ojulari credited the significant reforms of the Petroleum Industry Act, which has enabled the state-owned company to operate as a profit-driven company.
“This is not just about energy, It’s about industrialization – fertilizer plants, power generation, and gas-based industries in Kaduna, Kano, Abuja, and Ajaokuta. We expect to see industrial parks spring up.” – Bashir Ojulari, Group CEO of NNPC Ltd
Nigeria’s energy sector is set to reach new heights this year
Nigeria’s President reaffirmed the nation’s ambition to increase energy output capacity this year, with $30 billion in new investments for the energy market in Nigeria by the end of the decade, as well as oil output of 2 million barrels per day by 2027. As African nations further north explore their own gas and LNG plans for the new year, Nigeria is set to start the new year off with a bang and is developing a new era of gas production that will drive the economic expansion of the Northern part of the country.
