By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
STRONG COMMENDATION has come from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to President Bola Tinubu for his pivotal role in the emergence of Nigeria’s candidate, Dr Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), as the new Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
The company described the appointment as a historic moment for Nigeria and a powerful endorsement of the Federal Government’s gas development agenda, which seeks to position natural gas as the cornerstone of the nation’s industrial growth and economic transformation.
Dr Mshelbila was elected at the Forum’s 27th Ministerial Meeting held in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, to succeed Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel as the fifth Secretary General of the global energy organisation.
The GECF has remained a key platform in promoting natural gas as an essential element in the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
In a statement signed by Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd on 23 October 2025, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr Bashir Bayo Ojulari, commended both the President and Dr Mshelbila for the achievement, noting that it reinforces Nigeria’s growing influence in global energy governance.
“NNPC Ltd is proud of what Mshelbila has achieved at Nigeria LNG, where he has worked tirelessly to transform Nigeria’s vast gas reserves into export-grade LNG, LPG, and condensates, serving domestic needs and global markets in the process,” Ojulari said.
“With this feat, Philip Mshelbila has put Nigeria on the global energy map for good. This shows that President Bola Tinubu’s Gas to Prosperity agenda aimed at utilising natural gas as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth, energy security, and economic transformation is on the right trajectory,” he added.
Ojulari assured that with Dr Mshelbila now leading the GECF, Africa, Nigeria, and the NNPC Ltd will witness accelerated progress in the continent’s collective drive to make natural gas a pivotal resource for inclusive and sustainable development.
The NNPC GCEO also extended congratulations to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, on his emergence as President of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting.
He said the Minister has been instrumental in driving Nigeria’s efforts to harness its abundant gas resources for industrialisation, job creation, and energy security.
Ojulari reaffirmed that the achievements recorded within the gas sector underscore Nigeria’s central role in shaping the future of global energy, particularly as the world embraces cleaner fuels.
He noted that the nation’s strategy under the Federal Government’s Gas Agenda continues to demonstrate tangible progress across the upstream, midstream, and downstream gas value chains.
The GECF, which represents the world’s leading gas-exporting nations, serves as an international intergovernmental organisation providing a forum for the exchange of expertise, experience, and data among member countries.
It plays a vital role in fostering constructive dialogue between gas producers and consumers to enhance the stability and security of global gas supply and demand.
Current member countries of the Forum include Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
The organisation also has observer members such as Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal.
Collectively, GECF member states hold about 69 per cent of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, account for 39 per cent of marketed production, contribute 40 percent of total gas exports, and represent 51 per cent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
The appointment of Dr Mshelbila further cements Nigeria’s leadership within the international gas community and highlights its contribution to global energy dialogue.
It also reinforces the government’s ambition to leverage gas as a transition fuel for sustainable economic growth while addressing energy poverty across Africa.
NNPC Ltd reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s vision by expanding gas infrastructure, promoting domestic utilisation, and ensuring that Nigeria continues to play an influential role in shaping the global gas market.
