The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated that the Ajaokuta-Gwagwalada segment of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline (AKK) is projected to be commissioned, with first gas flowing by July 2026.
Speaking during a Stakeholders’ Workshop on Emerging Opportunities in Compressed Natural Gas CNG organised by Portland Gas Limited yesterday in Abuja, NNPCL’s Executive Vice President for Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, said the 614-km is pivotal in linking northern industrial zones to Nigeria’s gas fields, and structurally addressing National energy deficits.
Ogunleye who was represented by the company’s Manager, Business Development, Suleiman Kachalla, said AKK will unlock Northern industrial demand, competitive power generation, manufacturing growth, Auto-CNG and Mini-LNG expansion, and employment across the value chain.
He noted that the AKK is the heart of midstream transformation and is attracting investments into Gwagwalada.
“Gwagwalada sits at a strategic transport intersection linking Kogi and key northern hubs. It has become a logistics and commercial center with demand from transport and haulage fleets, manufacturing SMEs, real estate energy demand, agro-processing clusters, among others.”
He added that the workshop which seeks to attract more investors in partnering with Portland in constructing Mini-LNG/L-CNG station will fuel vehicles, power industry, reduce diesel dependence, and strengthen energy resilience.
“Positioned at the AKK Abuja take-off node, the project aligns strongly with market demand and investor appetite. Mini-LNG infrastructure is modular and scalable-deployable quickly and expandable in phases as demand grows. This reduces capital risk and supports flexible returns.”
“With years of proven experience in gas infrastructure, This record gives us the confidence to say that the Nigerian gas sector is ripe for investments and Portland Gas is ready to make these leading investments and make them succeed,” he added.
