AKK gas pipeline won’t be affected by forex crisis, others — Contractor

Brentex Petroleum Services Ltd/ China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd (CPP), one of the consortia executing Nigerian government’s Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, has said that forex fluctuation will not affect the project as they promised to deliver within the agreed cost and time.

The executive vice chairman of the Brentex/CPP consortium, Sani Abubakar, made this pledge during an inspection visit to the project site by the Minister of Finance, Budget & 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.

Receiving the two ministers and the GMD at the BrentexCPP Line Pipe Stackyard in Dankande in Kaduna State, Mr Abubakar said the consortium has increased the momentum of work on its segment of the project.

“We know the significance of this project to the Federal Government in terms of creating jobs, powering the economy and engendering the nations industrialization. We assure Nigerians that we will live up to our billing by delivering the project on time and within cost,” he said.

Mr Abubakar said in line with the consortium’s corporate social responsibility 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.

“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,” Mr Abubakar noted.

According to him, during the construction phase of the project, there will 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 AKK gas pipeline project is expected to be completed in 24 months.