The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his role in securing two key international leadership positions for Nigeria within the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, was elected as the new Secretary General of the GECF during the organization’s 27th Ministerial Meeting held in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday. He succeeds Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel, becoming the fifth person to occupy the position.
In addition, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, emerged as President of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting.
Reacting to the development, NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described Mshelbila’s appointment as a proud moment for Nigeria and a validation of President Tinubu’s gas-driven economic agenda.
“Dr. Mshelbila’s election is a significant recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence in the global energy space,” Ojulari said in a statement issued by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh. “His leadership at NLNG has transformed Nigeria’s vast gas reserves into exportable LNG, LPG, and condensates, meeting both domestic and international energy demands.”
Ojulari expressed optimism that Mshelbila’s new position would strengthen Africa’s voice in the global gas industry and further boost Nigeria’s efforts to make natural gas central to industrial growth and sustainable development.
He also congratulated Minister Ekpo, noting that his selection as president of the upcoming GECF Ministerial Meeting reflects confidence in his leadership and ongoing efforts to expand Nigeria’s gas utilization for industrialization and economic transformation.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum serves as a platform for cooperation among the world’s major gas-producing nations, promoting dialogue between producers and consumers to enhance stability and security in global gas markets.
Its member countries — including Nigeria, Algeria, Qatar, Russia, Iran, and Egypt — account for 69% of the world’s proven gas reserves and 51% of global LNG exports. Observer members include Angola, Malaysia, Iraq, and Mozambique, among others.
NNPCL emphasized that these new appointments reaffirm Nigeria’s strategic role in shaping the global energy transition and advancing the continent’s development through natural gas.
