The hydrothermal reaction of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O, NaN3 phenanthroline and nicotinic acid yielded a one-dimensional (1D) complex, [Ni1.5(N3)2(phen)(nic)]n (1) (phen = phenanthroline, nic = nicotinate), which is a new example of the named orbital countercomplementarity-like complex. In 1, the nicotinate shows μ3-nic-N,O,O coordination mode, and the azide groups adopt μ1,1 bridging mode linking NiII ions to form a rare trinuclear NiII unit bridged by a double μ1,1 azido.