Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago. Photo: State Govt

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago. has said the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline corridor will open up the state’s industrial potentials to investors.

He said the project, a 1,000 square kilometre corridor of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline that runs through Niger State is an Industrial Development Zone which would accelerate industrialisation and drive gas-powered economic growth.

Bago who spoke at the 2026 AKK and Energy Business Development Forum in Minna maintained that the gas pipeline would unlock the state’s vast economic potential by attracting investments, create jobs and drive industrial growth.

The governor, who also pointed out that the project would stimulate the establishment of agro-allied industries, petrochemical plants, fertiliser companies and other manufacturing businesses, insisted that it will position Niger State as a major industrial hub.

He stressed that the state’s abundant hydropower resources, vast solar energy potential and the availability of natural gas provide a unique combination that places Niger State in a strategic position for industrialisation and investment.

Bago further remarked, “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.

The Executive Vice President of the Gas, Power and New Energy Directorate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Olufemi Olalekan, disclosed that the AKK Gas Pipeline project has reached Abuja and is scheduled for commissioning in September this 2026.

He disclosed that the pipeline infrastructure has already 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