The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced a major breakthrough in its ongoing $2.8bn Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project, confirming that contractors have successfully crossed the River Niger, a critical milestone that had previously posed significant technical and commercial challenges.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mr Bayo Ojulari, told the Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week Conference on Tuesday in Abuja that the River Niger crossing was previously considered one of the most technically challenging segments of the project.
Delivering his keynote address at the event themed, “Accelerating Global Energy Progress Through Investment, Partnerships & Innovation”, Mr. Ojulari said that the company had surmounted the biggest challenge to the project activation.
By the grace of God, the pipeline will be completed before the end of the year, noting that it would deliver gas to multiple markets across the country and support long-awaited industrial growth in northern Nigeria.
Ojulari also announced a turnaround in the country’s oil pipeline operations, stating that Nigeria recorded 100% crude oil pipeline availability in June 2025, a dramatic recovery from mid-2022.
“The NNPC through industry-wide security collaboration and stakeholder engagements, we’ve moved from crisis to control,” he said, noting that this operational stability is already attracting new investments into onshore and shallow water assets.
Lauding the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, Ojulari noted that the legislation has been pivotal in transforming the NNPCL from a government-owned corporation into a commercially driven limited liability company.
“The PIA has allowed NNPCL to independently manage its financing and partnerships,” he said. “So today, NNPCL is able to raise the finance for all its businesses — a shift that is driving growth across the sector.”
He called for greater collaboration across the industry, especially in cases where certain partners struggle to raise the capital required for project delivery.
On expanding Gas Production and Utilization, he reiterating NNPC’s commitment to energy diversification.
Ojulari also emphasized the need to deepen natural gas production to support power generation, gas-based industries, transportation, economic development, and revenue growth under the National Gas Expansion Programme and the Decade of Gas (2021–2030).
“We’re committed to continuously improving our processes, technology and operations to expand gas utilization and reduce reliance on oil alone,” he said.
GIK/APA