By Chineme Okafor
One of the consortia executing Nigeria’s gas pipeline project, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, Brentex Petroleum Services Ltd/China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd (CPP) has pledged to deliver the project on schedule and within cost.
It stated this in a statement sent to THISDAY.
The statement contained excerpts of interactions between its officials and that of the federal government during a project assessment visit.
The statement explained that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari were at the Dankande-Kaduna line pipe stackyard of the consortium when its Executive Vice Chairman, Sani Abubakar made the pledge.
Abubakar told the government officials that the consortium has increased its schedule of work on its section of the 614 kilometres (km) pipeline project with the intention to keep to its delivery timeline.
“We know the significance of this project to the federal government in terms of creating jobs, powering the economy and engendering the nations industrialisation. We assure Nigerians that we will live up to our billing by delivering the project on time and within cost,” Abubakar was quoted to have said.
He added that in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, it has decided to build a pipeline academy that will afford Nigerians and other Africans the opportunity to learn about welding and other pipeline construction operations.
According to him, “we shall have three project camp facilities along the Niger-Kaduna-Kano corridor of the AKK gas pipeline project. One is located here in Dankande, Kaduna another one will be just after Zaria and the third one will be just by the AKK Terminal Gas Station in Kano.”
He said during the construction phase of the project, there would be activities stretching the pipeline construction to the extent of 50kms either side of operations.
“At the end of the day, we shall arrive at the 316kms of 40-inch gas pipeline connecting the project at Sarkin Pawa in Niger State and delivering gas to Kaduna all the way to Kano,” he added.
The entire pipeline project was expected to be completed in 24 months.
It reportedly represents the first phase of the 1,300km-long Trans-Nigerian Gas Pipeline (TNGP) project which is also part of the broader 4,401km-long Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) expected to supply natural gas to Europe.
