The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced the successful completion of the River Niger crossing on the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline, a major milestone expected to unlock an additional 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day. The update, shared on Thursday by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, signals a significant boost to Nigeria’s gas transmission capacity.
Described as one of the most technically demanding phases of the OB3 project, the River Niger crossing was executed by the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company. For years, this segment posed engineering and environmental challenges, slowing progress on a pipeline widely seen as critical to Nigeria’s energy future. Its completion now clears a major bottleneck in the country’s gas distribution network.
NNPC says the development marks a turning point for Nigeria’s energy security, with the potential to improve electricity generation, strengthen industrial supply, and ensure more reliable gas delivery nationwide. In a statement, the company emphasized that unlocking the pipeline’s full capacity will enhance domestic gas utilisation and support broader economic growth.
Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the achievement as a reflection of technical expertise and disciplined project execution. He noted that the OB3 pipeline will play a key role in powering industries and stabilizing electricity supply, aligning with Nigeria’s long-term strategy to expand gas production and usage. According to him, the milestone reinforces NNPC’s ability to deliver complex, large-scale infrastructure projects.
The OB3 pipeline, conceived to link eastern and western gas networks, has faced years of delays due to funding issues, difficult terrain, and technical constraints. Its completion comes amid Nigeria’s broader “Gas-to-Prosperity” agenda and complements other projects like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline. With a national target of reaching 12 billion cubic feet of gas production per day by 2030, the OB3 River Niger crossing is expected to play a central role in reshaping the country’s energy landscape.
source: nairametrics