The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has commended the renewed commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government to complete the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline early in 2025.
This was contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Professor Muhammad Tukur Baba and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday.
The statement noted that the heartwarming news came by way of the visit by a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government to the Project Site at Kaduna on Friday, 21st June 2024.
“The Delegation, led by Mr Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; included Alhaji Mohammed Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation; Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas); and Mallam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“At hand to accompany the delegation was Senator Uba Sani, Executive Governor of Kaduna State, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe.”
ACF wholly agreed with Mr. Edun’s observation that the AKK Gas pipeline will be critical to Nigeria’s industrialisation endeavours and a much-welcome relief for the economy in general.
“It will indeed be recalled that during the ACF Leadership’s visit to President Tinubu, on 30th May 2024, a plea for the completion of the AKK Gas Pipeline was on the wish list of the Forum for the attention of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Other projects listed included the Mambila Hydroelectric Dam, Sokoto-Badagri Highway, dredging of Rivers Benue and Niger, the Great Green Wall and ongoing railway and highway projects.
“As it commends President Tinubu in respect of the AKK Project, ACF reiterates its plea for attention to the other projects which, if and when implemented, will go a long way in revamping the economy of the Northern states and Nigeria at large.”
Convinced about the economic transformational benefits of the gas pipeline project, ACF called for its extension to other states. “In particular, it should not cost too much to extend the line from Zaria towards Katsina and Zamfara states. Such an endeavour has the real potential to positively impact on the revival of moribund industries in Funtua, Katsina and Gusau, as well as the establishment of new ones.”
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