NNPC’s $2.8b AKK gas pipeline is 72% done -Bayo Ojulari

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has announced that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project—one of Nigeria’s most ambitious energy infrastructure undertakings—has reached 72 per cent completion as of the end of Q1 2025.

This milestone was disclosed by Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, during the 2025 Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF) hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria in Abuja. Ojulari, who was represented by Udy Ntia, NNPC’s Executive Vice-President for Upstream Operations, emphasized the company’s commitment to a digitally driven, sustainable energy future.

Ojulari noted that global upstream oil and gas firms are projected to invest over $30 billion in digital technologies in 2025, signaling a shift in how the industry approaches efficiency and sustainability.

“These technologies are not optional extras,” he said. “They are foundational to improving asset reliability, lowering lifting costs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to him, NNPC has gone beyond buzzwords, embedding digital transformation into its operations through a well-defined strategy. The company’s upstream arm is actively leveraging real-time reservoir monitoring, predictive maintenance tools, and AI-powered subsurface imaging to enhance productivity and resilience.

NNPC’s digital transformation roadmap, he added, is anchored on three core pillars: intelligent automation, data governance, and cyber resilience.

But Ojulari made it clear that the company’s ambitions extend beyond technological adoption. He positioned Nigeria’s hydrocarbon wealth as a bridge to a more sustainable, inclusive energy future—one that doesn’t leave the continent behind.

“Technology is no longer just an enabler—it is now the fulcrum,” he said. “Energy transition is not a story. It is a global necessity, but its pathways must be shaped by local realities. Africa cannot afford a transition that leaves its people in the dark.”

He reaffirmed NNPC’s alignment with Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, which targets net-zero emissions by 2060. As part of this push, NNPC is expanding its autogas initiative with plans to convert over one million vehicles by 2026.

The AKK gas pipeline, which spans over 600 kilometers and is valued at $2.8 billion, is a critical component of Nigeria’s energy strategy, aimed at boosting domestic gas utilization and enhancing industrial power supply across key northern corridors. Originally slated for completion by Q1 2025, the federal government’s projected deadline has now been missed.