The Nigerian National Petroleum Company says its $700 million Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben gas pipeline is ready for first gas, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline has reached 95 per cent completion. NNPC disclosed both milestones in its July 2026 monthly report, marking a turning point for two projects central to the country's gas transmission network.
According to NNPC, pre-commissioning activities at the OB3 River Niger Crossing were completed in August 2026 in readiness for first gas. "OB3 River Niger Crossing: Pipeline pre-commissioning activities completed in readiness for First Gas in August 2026," the report stated. The 130-kilometre pipeline is designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, linking eastern and western sections of the country's gas network.
The River Niger Crossing itself was completed in April 2026 using horizontal directional drilling roughly two kilometres beneath the riverbed, a technique suited to complex engineering terrain. NNPC said the crossing unlocks over 500 million standard cubic feet per day of additional domestic gas supply, with implications for electricity generation, manufacturing and exports.
On the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano project, NNPC said construction and installation works had reached an advanced stage. "AKK (Early Gas): Construction and installation works are at an advanced stage to deliver early gas to Abuja in 2026," NNPC stated.
The AKK pipeline is intended to carry gas to Abuja and onward to northern Nigeria, complementing OB3's east-west connection. Independent reporting on NNPC's broader July operations data shows upstream pipeline availability trends that provide additional context for the two projects.
According to Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, "I commend everyone involved for their doggedness and for staying the course to deliver this strategic national asset." Ojulari linked the OB3 milestone to the Federal Government's broader energy targets, which include raising crude oil production to 3 million barrels per day and gas output to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030.
Started in 2016, the OB3 pipeline has missed several completion deadlines before this latest announcement. Its arrival at first-gas readiness, alongside AKK's advance to 95 per cent completion, signals the closest NNPC's gas infrastructure programme has come to hitting both projects' long-delayed targets in the same reporting period.
