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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has lauded President Bola Tinubu’s strategic role in the emergence of Philip Mshelbila and Ekperikpe Ekpo in top Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) positions.
Mr Mshelbila, the managing director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) was elected as the new secretary-general of the GECF at its 27th Ministerial Meeting held on Thursday in Doha, Qatar.
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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, also emerged as the president of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting.
The Group CEO, NNPC Ltd, Bashir Ojulari, described the development as a milestone and testimony to the federal government’s Gas Agenda, aimed at utilising natural gas as a major fuel for industrial growth and economic development.
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Mr Ojulari, in a statement by Andy Odeh, chief corporate communications officer, NNPC Ltd, described the feat as a historic moment for Nigeria.
“NNPC Ltd is proud of what Mshelbila has achieved at NLNG, 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.
“With this feat, Philip Mshelbila has put Nigeria on the global energy map for good.
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“This shows that President Tinubu’s gas to prosperity agenda, aimed at utilising natural gas as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation, is on the right trajectory,” Mr Ojulari added.
He further assured that with Mr Mshelbila, at the helm of GECF, Africa, Nigeria, and NNPC Ltd, will witness remarkable progress in making natural gas the pivotal resource for sustainable development.
The GCEO also congratulated Mr Ekpo on his emergence as president of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting.
He said the minister has been at the forefront of championing efforts to harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrialisation and economic development.
Similarly, Farouk Ahmed, a member of the Nigerian executive board of GECF, also congratulated Messrs Mshelbila and Ekpo on their new top positions at the GECF.
Mr Ahmed, who is also the chief executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), described both outcomes as a testament to Nigeria’s growing leadership, credibility and recognition within the global gas community.
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In a statement by George Ene-Ita, director of the Public Affairs Department at NMDPRA, Mr Ahmed said that the dual honours reflected the country’s strategic contributions in the energy space.
He commended Mr Mshelbila’s distinguished track record in the industry. He expressed confidence that his experience would strengthen the Forum’s role in promoting natural gas as a key driver of global energy security.
The GECF is an international intergovernmental organisation that provides a platform for exchanging experiences and information among its member countries.
Representing the world’s leading gas-exporting nations, the GECF aims to foster constructive dialogue between gas producers and consumers to enhance the stability and security of global gas supply and demand.
Mr Mshelbila succeeds Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel as the fifth secretary-general of the global organisation, which has been a leading voice in positioning natural gas as a cornerstone of global sustainable development.
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