The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline is 72 per cent complete as of Q1 2025, marking a key milestone in Nigeria’s gas-led energy transition agenda.
Speaking at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (SPE OLEF 2025) in Abuja, NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bayo Ojulari, said the company is advancing several initiatives to drive sustainability and meet the country’s net-zero emissions target by 2060.
He was represented by the Executive Vice President Upstream, Engr. Udobong Ntia.
The NNPC Boss 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 one million vehicles through 2026; the completion of critical backbone infrastructure such as the AKK pipeline, which is about 72 per cent complete as we speak, first quarter 2025; and also the planned integration of green hydrogen feasibility studies into long-term strategy.”
With 1,500 MW of built capacity, including 1,000 MW from IPP JV phases one and two, 650 MW of firm JV, and 50 MW from emergency power plants, he underlined that energy security for Nigeria’s more than 200 million residents is non-negotiable.
Ojulari praised the theme of the lecture “Driving Energy Sustainability Through Technology, Policy, and Supply Chain Excellence” as timely and relevant to the industry’s current trajectory.
Citing the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, he noted that global energy demand is expected to increase by over 25 per cent through 2040, largely driven by Asia’s industrialisation and Africa’s booming population.
Chairman of the SPE Nigeria Council, Engr. Amina Dalnmadami, speaking virtually, highlighted that OLEF has remained a pillar of innovation and dialogue in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector since 1991.
She said it commemorates the first oil discovery in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, and continues to shape conversations across government, academia, and industry.
While acknowledging the global shift toward renewables, Dalnmadami stressed that oil and gas “will remain central to Nigeria’s economic stability, energy security, and industrial growth for decades to come.”
“The path to sustainability in our context is not one of displacement but one of optimisation, leveraging technology to drive efficiency, tightening our supply chains, and creating enabling policies to enhance sector resilience,” she added.
Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Ahmed Galadima Aminu, reaffirmed the Fund’s consistent support for OLEF since 2015. He said the event is a strategic platform for energy dialogue, innovation, and capacity building that aligns with Nigeria’s future energy aspirations.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) CEO, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, represented by Commissioner Enorense Amadasu, revealed ongoing efforts under the Project One Million Barrels Incrementer Initiative, aimed at increasing oil production by one million barrels per day by 2026.
He also disclosed progress in the 2024 licensing round, with 70 offshore blocks awarded and plans underway for the 2025 bid round to support Nigeria’s goal of producing four million barrels of oil and 220 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Additionally, he noted that over 10 Petroleum Processing License (PPL) awardees are now in production.
