By Teddy Nwanunobi
Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared that the Ajaokuta, Kaduna Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project will change the face of the state.
Ganduje, who is confident of the Federal Government’s ability to complete and commission the project, strongly believes that the project will create huge economic impacts in the state.
“I was personally elated when Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari) announced approval for implementation of the project. With sustained gas supply to Kano, all our dead industries will be revived and more jobs will be created.
“With industrial clusters at Bompai, Sharada, Challawa 1 and 2, Tokarawa and Tamburawa, the gas project would fast track industrialisation in Kano, which is currently Nigeria’s most populous state,” Ganduje stated.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reports that Ganduje made the remark on Tuesday in Kano when he received the Managing Director, Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Ltd., Mr. Lekan Ogunleye.
Ganduje, who noted that the state is presently the market for states in Northern Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger republic, expressed optimism that the project would conveniently consolidate the state’s position as Nigeria’s historic commercial nerve center.
“I am also happy that this project will be augmented by recently approved Ibadan-Kano-Maradi and the Kano-Dutse rail line project as well as the reconstruction of Kano-Kaduna-Abuja road, which is in progress. These projects mean a lot for our people,” he said.
Ganduje said his administration had set up a local committee to coordinate with stakeholders on a hitch-free implementation of the project, in view of its importance.
In his remark, Ogunleye explained that the visit was to present the plan for the proposed gas sector stakeholders’ forum to be hosted by Kano at the end July 2021 to the Governor, as well as to give an update on the progress of the AKK Project so far.
Pointing out that the proposed forum will be structured in such a way that every stakeholder would be carried along, Ogunleye praised the Kano State government for being the only state with a multifunctional committee, comprising government and private sector representatives, to assist in the project delivery.
Valuechain reports that Buhari, in June 2020, flagged off the $2.8 billion 614-kilometer pipeline project, with capacity to transport 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas daily.
It is expected to enhance domestic natural gas utilisation for the country’s economic development.