NNPCL Reveals AKK Gas Pipeline 72% Complete, Eyes Green Hydrogen
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project has reached 72% completion as of the first quarter of 2025.
Speaking at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (SPE OLEF 2025) in Abuja, NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, also disclosed plans to integrate green hydrogen feasibility studies into the company’s long-term energy strategy.
Represented by the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Engr. Udobong Ntia, Ojulari said:
“In alignment with Nigeria’s energy transition plan, which seeks to achieve net zero emissions by 2060, NNPC Limited has initiated several gas-led transition programs, including the expansion of our autogas program, targeting over 1 million vehicles through 2026, the completion of critical backbone infrastructure such as the AKK pipeline, which is about 72% complete as we speak, first quarter 2025 and also the planned integration of green hydrogen feasibility studies into long-term strategy.”
Ojulari emphasized the importance of energy security for Nigeria’s over 200 million citizens, noting that NNPCL contributes significantly to the power sector with 1,500MW of installed capacity. This includes 1,000MW from Independent Power Projects (IPPs), 650MW from firm Joint Ventures and 50MW from emergency power plants.
Themed “Driving Energy Sustainability Through Technology, Policy, and Supply Chain Excellence,” the forum addressed emerging trends and challenges in the energy sector.
Ojulari cited the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, which forecasts a 25% increase in global energy demand by 2040—driven by industrialization in Asia and population growth in Africa. He pointed out that over 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, highlighting the need for energy inclusion across the continent.
In a virtual message, SPE Nigeria Council Chairperson Engr. Amina Dalnmadami reflected on OLEF’s legacy, commemorating Nigeria’s first oil discovery in 1956 at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State. She emphasized OLEF’s role as a critical forum for dialogue, innovation and sector-wide collaboration.
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“The path to sustainability in our context is not one of displacement, but one of optimization—leveraging technology to drive efficiency, tightening our supply chains and creating enabling policies to enhance sector resilience,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Ahmed Galadima Aminu, reiterated the Fund’s commitment to OLEF since 2015, viewing it as a platform for shaping the future of energy development in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) also spotlighted its Project 1 Million Barrels Incrementer Initiative—a collaborative industry effort aimed at increasing oil production by one million barrels per day by 2026. Representing the Commission’s CEO, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, Commissioner Enorense Amadasu confirmed that 10 Petroleum Processing License (PPL) awardees are already in production.
The NUPRC also completed its 2024 bid licensing round, awarding 70 offshore petroleum licenses, and is preparing for the 2025 round, aiming to hit 4 million barrels of oil and 220 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.
Former Petroleum Minister Don Etiebet, speaking at the event, warned against issuing drilling licenses to unqualified entities, stressing the importance of capable leadership in indigenous oil firms.
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