The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline will begin delivering natural gas to Abuja in July. A commission spokesperson told Reuters, "We're hoping that by July, gas will be delivered to Abuja through the AKK gas pipeline."
The 614‑kilometre (382‑mile) line is designed to move more than 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas each day, feeding power plants and industrial users in the north and cutting reliance on diesel and fuel oil. The project forms a core element of Nigeria's plan to shift its energy mix toward gas, drawing on the country's estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.
Conceived in 2008, the pipeline has missed several deadlines, including targets set for 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025. Construction started in 2020 but progressed slowly because of funding shortfalls and engineering hurdles, notably the crossing of the River Niger. An energy lawyer involved in the work told Reuters that the pipeline is now more than 90 percent complete.
Gas supplied through the AKK line will be sourced from southern producing fields via its link with the East‑West Obiafu‑Obrikom‑Oben (OB3) pipeline.
The NUPRC's July timeline for the AKK pipeline marks the first realistic prospect of a major gas corridor reaching the capital after more than a decade of postponements.
Behind the announcement lies a history of stalled financing and technical setbacks that have repeatedly pushed back delivery dates since the project's 2008 inception. The crossing of the River Niger and earlier missed milestones for 2023 and late‑2025 illustrate the systemic challenges that have hampered Nigeria's ambition to replace diesel‑dependent power with domestically sourced gas.
If the pipeline begins operations as promised, northern manufacturers and electricity generators stand to benefit from a steadier, cheaper fuel supply, potentially lowering production costs and electricity tariffs for households in that region.
The development also fits a broader pattern of large‑scale infrastructure projects finally moving past planning phases, suggesting that Nigeria's gas‑centric energy strategy may gain momentum despite past delays.
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