AKK pipeline reaches Abuja as NNPC eyes inauguration

The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline has reached Nigeria's capital, Abuja, marking a significant step toward its eventual commissioning. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is targeting a phased inauguration of the major gas project later this year.

Olalekan Ogunleye, NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Gas, Power, and New Energy, announced the milestone at the 2026 Energy Business Development Forum on the AKK Gas Pipeline Project in Minna, Niger State. He stated that the pipeline has arrived in Abuja and will be commissioned in stages. The section within Niger State is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.

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The pipeline has reached Abuja and will be commissioned in phases later in the year, with the Niger State section due for completion before year-end.

This development is a major milestone for the project, designed to enhance domestic gas utilization and stimulate investment in gas-based industries along its route. The AKK Gas Pipeline is a 614-kilometer, 40-inch pipeline system intended to transport natural gas from Ajaokuta in Kogi State to Kano.

Last year, NNPC reported that the pipeline had successfully crossed the River Niger, fueling hopes for project completion by the fourth quarter of 2025. The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, attributed the achievement to effective contract re-engineering and industry collaboration. The forum in Minna aimed to present the AKK project's prospects and investment opportunities to potential investors and energy operators, under the theme “Accelerating Domestic Gas Utilisation and Driving the Compressed Natural Gas Revolution along the AKK Corridor.” Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago highlighted the state's designation of an Industrial Development Park within the AKK corridor to attract investments in agro-allied industries, petrochemicals, and fertilizer production.

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The State Government has designated an Industrial Development Park within the 1,000-square-kilometre AKK corridor in the state, opening the route to agro-allied, petrochemical and fertiliser investment opportunities.