NNPC says AKK pipeline will bring gas to Abuja before the end of the year

Gas from the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline should reach Abuja before the end of this year, the head of NNPC has said.

Bayo Ojulari, NNPC's Group Chief Executive, was speaking at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Energy Connects. He said gas would go to Abuja first and then on to Kaduna and Kano.

A long road

AKK is one of Nigeria's biggest gas projects. It is meant to carry gas from the south to the capital and the north, where it can feed power plants, fertiliser factories and industrial parks.

Ojulari said earlier that the main line had been welded and had crossed the River Niger, TheCable reported. At the time he expected the remaining connections to be made in the early part of 2026. His latest remarks put first gas in Abuja before year-end.

CNG and gas targets

Ojulari also gave figures for the compressed natural gas (CNG) push that started in 2023. He said there are now more than 400 commercial CNG stations and over 1,000 CNG-powered petroleum trucks. NNPC aims to have more than 1,000 stations working by the end of 2027.

He put Nigeria's gas output at about 8 billion cubic feet a day, with targets of 10 billion in 2027 and 12 billion by 2030. He also said oil output has risen from 1.2 million to 1.8 million barrels a day, and credited the Petroleum Industry Act for the change.

On NNPC itself, Ojulari said the company is working towards becoming an international public company. He said the main gain would be a simpler structure and a bigger profile abroad.

What it means for you

If gas reaches Abuja through AKK, it could feed new power plants and factories around the capital. Over time that can mean more electricity and more jobs nearby.

For drivers, more CNG stations mean shorter queues and less travel to refill a converted car or bus.

These are NNPC's targets, not finished work. AKK dates have moved before, so treat the year-end date as something to watch, not a promise kept.