Bago: Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline will attract investors to Niger State

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has said the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline corridor will attract investors to the state.

He explained that the project, which is a 1,000 square kilometre corridor of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline running through Niger State, is an Industrial Development Zone. This project will speed up industrialisation and boost economic growth powered by gas.

Bago spoke at the 2026 AKK and Energy Business Development Forum in Minna. He said the gas pipeline will unlock the state’s economic potential, attract investments, create jobs, and promote industrial growth.

He also mentioned that the project would help set up agro-allied industries, petrochemical plants, fertiliser companies, and other manufacturing businesses. He believes this will make Niger State a key industrial hub.

The governor highlighted that the state's rich hydropower resources, large solar energy potential, and availability of natural gas create a unique mix that positions Niger State well for industrial development and investment.

Bago added, “My administration is determined to maximise these opportunities to transform the state’s economy and make it one of Nigeria’s leading productive economies.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say this is a new dawn for Niger State. It is a new opportunity not only for Nigeria but for the entire region. The entire 1,000 square kilometres covered by the AKK project within the state will be transformed into an Industrial Development Park.

“What we are witnessing today will transform the landscape of industrialisation, not just in Niger State or Northern Nigeria, but across Sub-Saharan Africa. It will create opportunities for agro-allied industries, fertiliser companies, hydrocarbon companies, and many other businesses.

“With our hydropower resources, vast solar energy potential, and now natural gas, Niger State is uniquely positioned for industrial growth. This combination of hydropower, solar power, and gas makes the state a strategic destination for investment,” he said.

Olufemi Olalekan, the Executive Vice President of the Gas, Power and New Energy Directorate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, shared that the AKK Gas Pipeline project has reached Abuja and will be commissioned in September 2026.

He noted that the pipeline infrastructure has been completed up to Kano and is being commissioned in phases.

“Work on the Niger State section is progressing steadily and is expected to be completed before the end of the year,” Olalekan said.