Nigeria’s national oil company has announced twin breakthroughs in energy infrastructure, marking what officials describe as a turning point for the country’s hydrocarbons sector.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) revealed both the successful River Niger crossing of its Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline and unprecedented crude pipeline performance during the 24th NOG Energy Week in Abuja.
Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari told delegates the AKK project’s critical River Niger crossing – achieved through “effective and innovative contract reengineering and industry collaboration” – keeps the strategic pipeline on track for Q4 2025 completion.
The 614km pipeline, designed to transport 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas daily, will connect northern industrial hubs to southern gas fields when operational.
Simultaneously, NNPC reported a milestone in crude transportation, with 100% pipeline availability throughout June 2025 – the first such achievement in years.
Ojulari credited “industry wide security interventions” for the improvement, which has boosted production volumes. “We’ve turned the narrative around by consistently meeting our cash-call obligations to Joint Venture operations,” he stated, while urging additional investment to further increase output.
The CEO highlighted how the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 has strengthened NNPC’s capacity to finance major projects, calling it a game-changer for sector governance. His remarks at the energy conference carried a challenge to industry stakeholders: “I would like this conference to transition from a talk shop to one where performances are celebrated and investment deals closed.”
The announcements signal progress on two fronts that have long hampered Nigeria’s energy ambitions – infrastructure deficits and pipeline vandalism. With the AKK project overcoming its most technically complex segment and crude pipelines achieving full operability, authorities hope to demonstrate tangible results from recent reforms.
However, analysts note sustaining these gains will require maintaining both the security push and international partnerships that enabled these breakthroughs.
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