The Oilserv Ltd., Contractor handling the ongoing Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project says the project will stimulate gas infrastructural development and industrialization in Nigeria.

Mr. Emeka Okwuosa, Chairman, Oilserv Ltd., said this on Tuesday, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The project which spans a length of 614km is being developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) to transport natural gas from Ajaokuta, Kogi through other states and urban centers in Nigeria.

The project which began in 2020 and is to be completed by the first quarter of 2023 is a segment of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (TNGP) and the Trans Saharan gas pipeline project.

AKK gas project, when completed would boost the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, carbon footprint as part of measures to cut down on global warming and provide gas for the generation of power and gas-based industries.

He said that the project aimed at transporting natural gas (raw form) which would enable the production of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) among others.

“The project is important to Nigeria because gas is what will help Nigeria to develop.

“Development cannot happen without energy and our greatest form of energy in terms of availability is gas.

“Gas is nothing without transportation you have to send it to where you need it and that’s what we are doing to boost development in the country,” he said.

According to the contractor, the ongoing AKK gas pipeline is a good target for European markets in view of exploring opportunities for gas exportation.

“You can see what is happening in Europe because of Russian gas, everybody is scampering, but we have it,” he added.

Europe, the single-largest buyer of Russian energy, is weighing the likelihood of gas-supply disruptions as the war with Ukraine continues.

As a result of activities around the AKK project, the country will see over eight billion standard cubic feet (scf) of gas injected into the domestic pipeline.

NAN recalls that the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, in the company of the NNPC board members recently inspected the segment “A” site of the project in Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)