Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has said the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline project will unlock the state’s industrial potential and position it as a major investment destination.
Bago made the remarks at the 2026 AKK and Energy Business Development Forum held in Minna, where he described the AKK corridor as a major opportunity to accelerate industrialisation and promote gas-powered economic growth across Niger State.
The governor said the approximately 1,000-square-kilometre corridor of the AKK project passing through the state would be developed into an Industrial Development Zone capable of attracting local and international investors.
According to him, the availability of natural gas, combined with Niger State’s abundant hydropower resources and significant solar energy potential, gives the state a unique advantage in pursuing large-scale industrial development.
Bago said the project would create opportunities for the establishment of agro-allied industries, fertiliser plants, petrochemical companies, hydrocarbon-related businesses and other manufacturing ventures.
He added that the development would generate employment, stimulate economic activities and strengthen Niger State’s position as an industrial hub in Northern Nigeria.
The governor said his administration was committed to maximising the opportunities created by the AKK project to transform the state’s economy and make Niger one of Nigeria’s leading productive economies.
Describing the development as a “new dawn” for Niger State, Bago said the transformation of the AKK corridor would have implications beyond the state and Nigeria.
“What we are witnessing today will transform the landscape of industrialisation, not just in Niger State or Northern Nigeria, but across Sub-Saharan Africa,” the governor said.
He noted that the combination of hydropower, solar energy and natural gas would provide investors with the energy resources needed to establish and expand industries within the state.
Meanwhile, the Executive Vice President of Gas, Power and New Energy at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Olufemi Olalekan, disclosed that the AKK Gas Pipeline project had reached Abuja and was expected to be commissioned in September 2026.
Olalekan said the pipeline infrastructure had been completed up to Kano and was being commissioned in phases.
He further disclosed that construction work on the Niger State section of the pipeline was progressing steadily and was expected to be completed before the end of 2026.
The AKK Gas Pipeline is a major federal infrastructure project designed to transport natural gas from the Ajaokuta area through Kaduna to Kano, with the broader objective of supporting power generation, industrial development and economic activities across northern Nigeria.
The Niger State Government is positioning the portion of the corridor within the state as a major industrial investment zone, with the expectation that access to reliable gas and other energy resources will encourage the establishment of new businesses and industries.
