The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has hit a major milestone in its $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project, successfully crossing the River Niger—one of the toughest parts of the construction.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, during his keynote address at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week Conference in Abuja. This marks his first major industry appearance since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.

“This was one of the biggest technical and commercial challenges we faced on the project,” Ojulari told stakeholders at the event. “But today, I’m pleased to say we’ve crossed the River Niger. This is a huge step forward.”

The River Niger crossing had long been considered one of the most difficult segments of the 614-kilometre pipeline. The AKK project is currently over 70% complete, and Ojulari expressed confidence that the entire pipeline will be finished before the end of 2025.

Once completed, the AKK pipeline is expected to transform Nigeria’s energy sector by boosting domestic gas supply, powering industries, creating jobs, and driving development—especially across northern Nigeria.

Ojulari also shared a surprising development: Nigeria now has 100% pipeline availability across the country. This achievement comes after years of frequent pipeline sabotage and vandalism that crippled the oil and gas sector.

“For years, we talked about insecurity in the pipeline network. Today, I’m proud to say we’ve restored full availability,” he said to loud applause.

Despite this breakthrough, oil production is still lagging. According to the NNPCL boss, Nigeria is currently producing about 1.35 million barrels of crude oil per day, rising to 1.6 million barrels when condensates are included.

Ojulari said the real challenge now is attracting fresh investment into the sector. “We’ve fixed the infrastructure bottleneck. Now we need capital. The environment is right—pipeline access is no longer an issue, and reforms are in place. This is the time for investors to come in.”

The AKK pipeline is seen as a key step in Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy and greater economic diversification. With the River Niger now behind them, NNPCL’s message is clear: the path is open for growth, investment, and long-awaited progress.