The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has announced that the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline is fully ready for first gas, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline has reached 95 per cent completion.

According to NNPC's July 2026 monthly report, pre-commissioning activities at the OB3 River Niger Crossing were completed in August in preparation for the pipeline's first gas delivery. The report placed OB3 at 100 per cent completion, while AKK remains at 95 per cent, with construction and installation works at an advanced stage to deliver early gas to Abuja later in 2026.

Both projects form part of NNPC's broader gas infrastructure development programme. OB3 is designed to connect gas supplies across the eastern and western regions of the country, while AKK will transport gas to Abuja and onward to northern Nigeria. The July report did not disclose further details on AKK's expected capacity or a specific commissioning date.

The update builds on an earlier announcement in April, when NNPC confirmed it had completed the long-anticipated River Niger crossing of the OB3 pipeline, a critical segment of the country's gas transmission network. The feat, executed by NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company, involved drilling roughly two kilometres beneath the River Niger using horizontal directional drilling technology.

NNPC's Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said the milestone activates the full capacity of the 130-kilometre pipeline, which is designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day. The company noted that completion of the crossing would unlock over 500 million standard cubic feet per day of additional gas supply for the domestic market in the near term, with implications for electricity generation, manufacturing, and exports.

NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, described OB3 as central to Nigeria's ambition of building an integrated, resilient gas network, commending those involved in delivering what he called a strategic national asset. He also tied the project 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.

The $700 million OB3 pipeline, initiated in 2016, had missed several completion deadlines before this latest development.

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