The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has announced that construction on the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline has reached 72% completion as of the end of Q1 2025.
Ojulari made the disclosure at the 2025 edition of the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF), hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers Nigeria in Abuja.
He highlighted that NNPCL is leveraging advanced technologies to cut down production costs—currently averaging $40 per barrel—in a bid to achieve operational excellence. He emphasized that with strategic investments in infrastructure and innovation, NNPCL is positioning itself at the forefront of Nigeria’s energy transformation.
Speaking on the forum’s theme, “Driving Energy Sustainability Through Technology, Policy, and Supply Chain Excellence,” Ojulari—represented by the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Udobong Ntia—underscored the critical role of digitisation, automation, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced analytics in reshaping the energy sector. He revealed that global upstream companies are expected to invest over $30 billion in digital technologies in 2025 alone.
“At NNPCL, technology has evolved from being a support tool to becoming a core operational pillar,” he said. “We’re actively deploying real-time reservoir monitoring, predictive maintenance, and AI-powered subsurface imaging to ensure greater efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.”
Ojulari also revealed that the company is conducting green hydrogen feasibility studies as part of its long-term strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. In alignment with Nigeria’s energy transition plan, NNPCL is implementing several gas-based initiatives, including the expansion of its autogas program targeting over one million vehicles by 2026.
He reaffirmed NNPCL’s commitment to national energy security, stating that the company contributes approximately 1,500MW to the country’s power supply through its independent power projects and joint ventures.
Quoting the International Energy Agency’s projections, Ojulari noted that global energy demand is set to rise by over 25% by 2040, driven by industrial growth in Asia and Africa’s burgeoning population. He pointed out the critical need to address the continent’s energy access gap, with over 600 million Africans still lacking electricity.
SPE Nigeria Council Chairperson, Amina Dalnmadami, speaking virtually, emphasized OLEF’s enduring significance since its inception in 1991. She reiterated that while the global shift to renewables is gaining momentum, oil and gas remain vital to Nigeria’s economic stability, energy security, and industrial development. “For Nigeria, sustainability is not about displacement but optimization—maximizing efficiency, reinforcing supply chains, and crafting enabling policies,” she said.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Ahmed Galadima Aminu, reaffirmed the Fund’s support for OLEF, calling it a critical platform for energy policy dialogue, innovation, and strategic development across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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