NNPC dismisses reports of inadequate funding for AKK gas pipeline project
The group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mele Kyari, has dismissed reports claiming that the corporation failed to release funds for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project.
Kyari confirmed that the NNPC had released over $1.1 billion for the project, which is aimed at providing a steady supply of natural gas to power plants and industries across Nigeria.
In a statement made while surveying one of the project sites located in Ahoko, Kogi state, Kyari dismissed reports the project had run aground due to a lack of funding for its second and third phases:
The project is being developed in three phases, with the first phase being the construction of a 200 km-long section between Ajaokuta and Abuja. The second phase will cover the Abuja-Kaduna section, while the third phase will complete the pipeline’s construction by extending it from Kaduna to Kano.
Kyari emphasized the NNPC’s capacity and readiness to meet all financial obligations due to the importance of the project.
The AKK gas pipeline project is expected to boost Nigeria’s economic growth by increasing the availability of natural gas for electricity generation and industrial use. It is also expected to create thousands of job opportunities during the construction phase and afterward.
