Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari  has flagged off the construction of $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline, this has invaluably set the pace for total economic gas revolution in the country. A consortium of indigenous and international engineering firms are slated to construct the 614-kilometer gas pipeline which will be a future energy link to north African region.

 Oilserv Limited a major indigenous EPC company among other indigenous company, involved in the project, has recently stated its commitment and competence in execution of this milestone project.

 “This project will also, signal the finest hour so far for the Nigerian Content Policy goals. The president, by the flag off of this project at Ajaokuta, Kogi State, would be turning to reality some of the nation’s long term economic aspirations of boosting domestic energy infrastructure, b) deepening the local gas market, creating industrial corridors with cleaner fuel, and commercializing the country’s abundant gas resources. “The project, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), will significantly curb gas flaring in the Niger Delta and guarantee better air quality in the oil producing region.”  It stated:

“Furthermore, the pipeline, which was conceived to connect demand from the northern part of the country with supply from the south, would be the biggest infrastructure development in the country’s recent history. It will also mark a significant shift in the nation’s energy policy; from revenue, targeted export programmes to development focused domestic supply programmes. “Significantly, the $2.8 billion project will break through on the 30th of June after seven years of rigorous processes that morphed from policy conception through implementation strategy designs, master-plans and solid implementation programmes.

 “Perhaps the biggest value to the economy is the participation of indigenous engineering firms led by pipeline giant, Oilserv Limited, in the delivery of some of the phases of the project. “The company has successfully delivered over 17 similar challenging projects in the country including the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the 67-kilometre Obiafu/Obrikom to Oben (OB3) 48-inch diameter Gas Transmission Pipeline System. “The Oilserv consortium is slated to deliver the first 200-kilometre phase of the AKK pipeline, which covers the section between Ajaokuta and Abuja, after securing the EPC contract in April 2018.” The company emphasized.

“Nigeria’s Presidency had confidently asserted that, the AKK pipeline project is itself a section of an ambitious pipeline project to supply gas to Europe through the proposed Trans Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGP) and Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipelines. “Thus, in the short term the AKK will ensure energy sufficiency for domestic commerce and industry, and in the long term, having deepened and satisfied domestic demand, morph into an export pipeline and economic mainstay. “The AKK pipeline in Nigeria’s prevailing socioeconomic downturn will prove to be fortuitous as well as strategic even as the world steps away from fossil fuel. Beyond the immediate need to stem the devastation of the corona pandemic and stimulate activity in the domestic economy, the AKK which is already potentially poised as a very central economic powerhouse in Nigeria will also create deeper, more enduring values, including, multiplier effect in the local content circles, cleaner environment for the host communities, accelerated technical growth, direct citizen utility, industrial convenience, and of course general broadening of the economy, etc.” It posited.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) initially announced The tenders for the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) 40-inch x 614-kilometer gas pipeline project was announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) in July 2013 and the project proposal was submitted to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission in June 2017. While the Federal Executive Council granted approval in December 2017.  But the political will for its final take off is owing to resilient effort of this present administration whose economic focal point is to establish sustainable power supply as a fulcrum for sound economic development, Kudos to President Buhari for this giant economic stride.

The NNPC explained that the Right of Way for the proposed AKK gas pipeline would run parallel to the existing Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company’s 16 inch-crude oil and 12 inch- product pipelines wherever possible.The pipeline gas supply is expected from existing domestic Infrastructure with a capacity of over 1.5billion cubic feet per day which is currently expanded by Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System II (ELPS II) and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline projects  under construction bringing the total gas capacity to over 3billion cubic gas per day.  

The AKK pipeline project is conceived to boost other major domestic gas transmission coordinates  which include the existing 36-inch Escravos-Lagos Pipeline I and II with 2.2billion cubic feet per day capacity and the On-going East-West connection via the OB3 pipeline featuring 2.4billion cubic feet per day capacity. The project will push 2.2billion cubic feet of gas to the gas oriented industrial sector, with an additional 3,600mega watts of power to the national grid and will also rejuvenate the textile industry by creating major job opportunities to the teeming unemployed youth. The project is expected to be completed within a 24-month timeline.