Group chief executive officer of Oilserv Group of Companies, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa, the contractors executing segment A of the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project has assured the completion of the project by July 2024.
Okwuosa gave the assurance when he responded to enquiries from the minister of state for petroleum resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, during an inspection tour of the project at the Pai River crossing section in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Okwuosa said the Pai River crossing was peculiar hence the deployment of Horizontal Directional Drilling Technology to ensure perfect execution of the project.
On when the project would be completed, he said, “From our schedule, I know we are finishing next year. On the main pipeline itself that will deliver the gas, we are optimistic that by July, or August next year, we would be done.
“We have our schedule as far as where we are today and we are working hard to mitigate and make sure we deliver.
“A lot of what we have to deal with in the next six months will be the river crossing the area.”
He commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for their support and commitment to ensure the speedy completion of the project.
He also applauded the minister for his commitment towards the completion of the project, adding “Your commitment towards the development of gas as a source of energy in Nigeria is unequalled.
“Your comment has shown your focus which is driven by your patriotic position not as an Honourable Minister, but as a person and a committed Nigeria.”
On the support from NNPCL, he said “I can assure you that whatever we are doing will not be possible without the support of NNPC and we are always in sync and they support and raise the funds to keep the project ongoing. Our commitment is more than 100 percent. Though we have challenges, our job is to deal with the challenges and make sure the project is completed as scheduled.”
Addressing journalists on the importance of the AKK gas pipeline project to the development of the nation’s economy, Engr. Okwuosa explained that, “For the gas itself, the project AKK is very critical as well as important in gas delivery in Nigeria.
It is a major segment of the Nigerian gas master plan meant to distribute gas across Nigeria and provide energy. You must have heard the Minister stating that energy is life. But gas is energy and that is what we have in Nigeria.
“After completion, we would be able to have gas and NNPCL, the owner, would be able to deliver gas to the Northern part of Nigeria, but also spur development of gas in the Southern part of Nigeria and create a lot of wealth as well in the South.
“With gas available, you have power, compressed natural gas, CNG (for vehicles to run with and reduce dependency on PMS), build fertilizer plants, help agriculture, and so on.
“This project will change the landscape of energy delivery and the economy of Nigeria will change,” he said.