The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and some stakeholders have listed the opportunities from the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Natural Gas Pipeline Project (AKKP), the single largest gas project in Nigeria, which is presently at 73.3% completion stage.
The gas project upon completion is expected to provide 900 megawatts of power generated to Kaduna and its environ as well as enormous access to gas that can support the springing up of industries and petrochemical plants.
This was made known by the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Abdulkadir Ahmad, while speaking as a guest speaker at a public lecture in honour of Mr Suleiman Umaru, Emir of Lere in Kaduna.
Ahmad, who was represented by General Manager, Commercial, Nigeria Gas Company Limited, Emmanuel Ibokwume, spoke on the topic, ‘Nigeria Gas Master Plan and Opportunities for the Northern States’, in the event which was organized by the Kaduna Chapter of Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineer (NSCHE).
Also, speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, said that the AKKP is an important project and would solve the country’s inadequate power supply problem.
He noted that the project is an opportunity to generate power and distribute it to communities and industries.
What the Group Executive Director of NNPC is saying
Ahmad said, “We have so far made tremendous progress as the project is about 73.3 percent completed, with only about 23.5 percent remaining.
“We have split the project into two to make sure it is completed at the earliest time possible since we are working within the timeline of 2022.’’
He said the Federal Government supported the initiative and was pulling resources to ensure that it was not truncated.
“The immense opportunities are that Kaduna will have access to 900 megawatts of power generated by the time the AKKP is completed, and also have enormous access to gas that can support the springing up of industries and petrochemical plants.’’
What the Executive Secretary of NBTE is saying
Idris Bugaje said, “Most states, especially in the Northern states, get only one or less than one percent of what TCN transmits, as such, the AKKP is an opportunity to generate power and distribute to communities and industries.’’
What you should know
- Recall that in June 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the construction of the $2.8 billion 614km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline, the single biggest gas pipeline project in Nigeria’s history, in Ajaokuta (Kogi State) and Rigachikun (Kaduna State).
- The project, which took off after months of discussions in and out of the country, is expected to carry gas between the southern and northern parts of the country and will eventually extend to North Africa.
- The 614 kilometres-long natural gas pipeline of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (TNGP) project, is to be done on a build-and-transfer Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. It will transport 3,500 million metric standard cubic feet per day of dehydrated gas from several gas gathering projects located in southern Nigeria.
- Also, in June 2021, the Federal Government revealed that it is looking at covering the Trans-Saharan and European markets with the ongoing construction of the Ajaokuta, Kaduna, Kano Gas Pipeline, popularly known as AKK Gas Pipeline.
