NNPC Limited has completed the main pipeline of the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas project, a significant milestone in expanding gas supply to northern Nigeria.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Sunday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.

Ojulari said the milestone paves the way for the next phase of the project, which will focus on linking facilities and distribution infrastructure to ensure gas delivery to major cities across the North.

Ojulari said the completion of the AKK pipeline main line followed the resolution of long-standing technical hurdles, including the successful crossing of the River Niger.

“You remember sometime in summer, we were able to cross the River Niger which has been a struggle for many years.

“By completing this main line, what that means is that we can begin to make all the connections to the main line, which we will do in the earlier parts of next year.

“And why that is very important is that that brings gas in its full form into the northern part of Nigeria. We’re looking at Kaduna, Kano, and also of course, Ajaokuta, and Abuja where we begin to see industrialisation, industrial parks taking gas for gas-based industry, fertilizer plants, as well as generating power,” Ojulari stated.

He credited recent operational gains to structural reforms within NNPC, highlighting that oil production has risen from around 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024 to over 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025.

Gas production has also grown, rising from about 6.5 billion to over 7 billion standard cubic feet per day, which Ojulari said reflects the effects of internal restructuring and strategic investments.

The completion of the AKK pipeline main line positions NNPC to greatly expand gas supply in northern Nigeria, a region historically limited by energy infrastructure.

Ojulari noted that the company’s key focus in 2026 will be boosting oil and gas output by attracting new investments, targeting at least 1.8 million barrels per day in oil production next year.

In July, NNPC Ltd announced the successful crossing of the River Niger on the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline Project, a segment long regarded as one of the most technically challenging parts of the project.