The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has intensified its push to attract private capital ahead of the expected first gas delivery from the Ajaokuta–Gwagwalada segment of the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline (AKK) by July 2026.

Officials say the segment’s completion will significantly expand domestic gas supply, boost power generation, and catalyse industrial growth across northern Nigeria, opening new opportunities along the corridor.

At a stakeholders’ workshop on mini-LNG and L-CNG infrastructure in Abuja, NNPC urged investors to seize emerging opportunities in compressed natural gas (CNG), stressing Nigeria’s shift from an oil-led economy to a gas-first strategy for energy security and industrialisation.

Speaking through his representative, Kachala Suleman, the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, said the long-held description of Nigeria as an oil nation with some gas had been retired.

“As we implement the NNPC Gas Master Plan and the Decade of Gas agenda, Nigeria has become a gas-first nation—strategically, commercially, and operationally,” he said.

Ogunleye disclosed that NNPC targets increasing national gas production to 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030 to meet industrial and energy demands. He noted that Nigeria holds over 210 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, with domestic supply already exceeding 2 billion cubic feet per day.

Highlighting progress in the transport segment, Ogunleye said CNG had attracted over $200 million in private investment commitments and more than 300 conversion centres nationwide, with a goal of one million vehicle conversions by 2027.

He endorsed Portland Gas Limited’s proposed mini-LNG and L-CNG facility in Gwagwalada, describing it as a catalyst for gas commercialisation and energy security. According to him, NNPC will supply piped gas to the facility, which will serve as a “mother station” for mobile refuelling units and retail outlets.

“The Ajaokuta–Gwagwalada segment, expected to deliver first gas by July 2026, will unlock industrial demand, power generation, auto-CNG growth, and mini-LNG expansion across northern Nigeria,” Ogunleye said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Ismaeel Ahmed, said Nigeria was building a competitive gas economy to cut transport costs and stimulate manufacturing, adding that mini-LNG and L-CNG infrastructure would help overcome pipeline limitations and drive regional growth.

Chief Commercial Officer of Portland Gas Limited, Michelle Ejiofor, said the Gwagwalada project would bridge the gap between stranded gas and end users while lowering energy costs and emissions.

NNPC said large-scale investments in pipelines, mini-LNG plants, and virtual gas networks remain critical to reshaping Nigeria’s energy landscape, improving industrial competitiveness, and supporting long-term economic stability.