NNPC pledges speedy construction of Gas pipeline to Kano, Kaduna

By Etuka Sunday

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged its commitment to the speedy construction of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project as demanded by the Steering Committee. The project which was approved under the National Gas Master Plan by the Federal Executive Council is designed to transport gas for power and manufacturing  industry usage to the key northern axis from Ajaokuta  –Kaduna –Kano.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe quoted the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha to have described the AKK assignment as a National Priority Project which is one of the cardinal programmes of the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration.

He noted that while progress is being made in the execution of the adjoining OB3 gas pipeline project as well as the looping of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS), implementation of the AKK Project is slow and out of sync with Government’s desire for accelerated implementation.

“In order to strengthen this critical Government National Priority Project and have it refocused for accelerated implementation, there is the compelling need for the establishment of a dedicated AKK Project Steering Team with clear governance structure,’’ the GMD said.

The Project Steering Committee comprises of the GMD NNPC as Chairman with the Group Executive Directors of Gas and Power, Exploration and Production as well as Commercial and Investment as members. Also listed as a member of the PSC is the Coordinator, Corporate Planning and Strategy.

The PSC will be responsible for providing general guidance and direction for the project, grant approval for business models, equity participation, budgets, contracting strategy and appropriate reporting to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources  as well as endorse strategic investors and recommend as appropriate to Government for approval.

The AKK Project Support Team on the other hand consists of a group of 10 personnel drawn across various divisions of the Corporation with Mallam Rabiu Bello, General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, as the Team Lead.

Mallam Bello is to coordinate the activities of the Project Engineering Procurement &Construction (EPC) Team and the Project Support Team.

In its terms of reference, the team is mandated to review all existing contractual, technical, commercial, financial issues relating to the project among other items .