AKK 72% completed, says NNPCL boss Ojulari
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Thursday said the implementation of the Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano (AKK) gas pipeline was 72 per cent completed at First Quarter 2025 (Q1 2025).
He said NNPCL also has the planned integration of green hydrogen feasibility studies into long-term strategy.
Its Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr. Bayo Ojulari made this known at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (SPE OLEF 2025) in Abuja.
He said in pursuant of the attainment of the net zero emissions by 2060, the state-owned oil firm has initiated several gas-led transition programs.
According to him, the programs include the expansion of its autogas and targeting over one million vehicles by 2026.
The NNPCL Executive Vice President Upstream, Engr Udobong Ntia, who represented him 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 1 million vehicles through 2026, the completion of critical backbone infrastructure such as the AKK pipeline, which is about 72% complete as we speak, first quarter 2025, and also the planned integration of green hydrogen feasibility studies into long-term strategy.”
He stressed that energy security for over 200 million Nigerians is non-negotiable.
He revealed that NNPC Limited as an energy company plays a key role in the power sector, contributing about 1,500MW of installed power capacity to the country with one 1,000MW of IPP JV phases one and two, 650 megawatts of firm JV, and 50 megawatts made of emergency power plants.
The theme of the lecture was “Driving Energy Sustainability Through Technology, Policy, and Supply Chain Excellence.”
Ojulari said the theme was very timely and compelling addressed the current and emerging realities of the industry.
Alluding to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, the Publishers Outlook, he said annually, global energy demand is projected to grow by over 25 percent through 2040, driven largely by industrialisation in Asia and, of course, the fast-growing population in Africa.
African youth, according to him, are estimated to grow into about 800 million people, just the youth alone in Africa.
He said in Africa, over 600 million people remain without access to electricity, a statistic that reflects both a development deficit and a glaring opportunity for energy inclusion.
Speaking virtually, the SPE Nigeria Council, Chairman, Engr. Amina Dalnmadami recalled that since 1991, OLEF has stood as a symbol of dialogue, innovation, and policy engagement in Nigeria’s oil and gas landscape.
She said it commemorates the first commercial discovery of oil in Nigeria in
Oloibiri, Bayelsa State—an event that forever changed the trajectory of the nation’s economic history.
OLEF, she said, continues to serve as a convergence point for stakeholders across government, industry, and academia to reflect, project, and act.
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The chairman said while this year’s global conversation may lean heavily toward renewables, “we know 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 optimization—leveraging technology to drive efficiency, tightening our supply chains, and creating enabling policies to enhance sector resilience.”
In his sponsor’s remarks, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Executive Secretary, Ahmed Galadima Aminu said since 2015, the Fund has remained a consistent supporter of the OLEF, recognising its strategic value as a platform for policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and forward-thinking discourse on energy development in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the annual lecture series, commemorating the historic 1956 oil discovery at Oloibiri, represents more than a celebration of Nigeria’s petroleum legacy.
He added that it reflects the country’s collective aspirations for sustainable energy growth through innovation, strategic partnerships, and capacity building.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe said the Commission is driving several other initiatives but the one that is major and that is key to the Commission now is NUPRC’s Project 1 Million Barrels Incrementer Initiative.
He was optimistic that the initiative was realizable with the stakeholders’ cooperation.
Commissioner Enorense Amadasu, who represented him, said the Project 1 Million Barrels of Oil Party Initiative is an industry collaborative undertaking involving producers, service providers, financiers, and other key stakeholders for incremental 1 million barrels per day production by 2026.
On 2024 bid round and potential 2025 bid round, he said in pursuit of the goal to reach 4 million barrels of oil and 220 trillion cubic feet of gas, NUPRC has vigorously pursued strategies to enhance exploratory activities and accelerate development.
Read Also: NNPCL: A necessary reset to rescue Nigeria’s oil industry
He added: “As part of these efforts, the Commission completed the 2024 bid licensing round with the award of 70 offshore petroleum prosperity licenses, BPS, and 70 additional offshore and offshore blocks.
“We are also preparing for the 2025 bid round as we implement the drill or drop philosophy in line again with the PIA and follow FIT’s administration mechanism of the PIA.”
On Petroleum Processing License (PPL) awardee, he revealed that 10 of the awardees are now in production.
“I think about more than 10 of them are now in production. I think that’s a huge one for the country,” he said.
Speaking, the former Minister of Petroleum, Don Etiebet warned against issuing licenses for petroleum production to people or companies without capacity to drill the rigs.
He advised that succession into the indigenous firms leadership should not be a family affair.
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