By Editor

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has marked the end of an era with a symbolic sendoff in Abuja for its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, whose four-year tenure reshaped the company’s strategy at one of the most turbulent moments in the global energy industry.

Mshelbila formally exits NLNG on December 31 to assume office as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar, a move that elevates a Nigerian energy executive to the forefront of global gas diplomacy. In his place, the NLNG Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Engr. Adeleye Falade as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective April 2026. Falade joins NLNG from Brunei LNG, where he currently serves as MD/CEO, bringing deep international LNG operational experience to the company.

The Abuja ceremony drew NLNG directors, executives of shareholder companies, senior public sector officials, energy industry leaders, and representatives of management and staff—an indication of the strategic weight of Mshelbila’s stewardship.

Speaking at the event, NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, Olakunle Osobu, described Mshelbila as a rare blend of professional depth and strategic clarity, noting that his background spans medicine, environmental health, business leadership, and global energy engagement. According to Osobu, Mshelbila assumed office at a time when NLNG was confronting overlapping crises: the economic aftershocks of COVID-19, devastating floods that damaged critical gas infrastructure, persistent pipeline vandalism, and repeated force majeure declarations by gas suppliers. These domestic challenges were compounded by global energy market disruptions triggered by the Russia–Ukraine war.

“Yet,” Osobu said, “his response was not retrenchment but transformation.”

A defining pillar of Mshelbila’s legacy was a decisive shift in NLNG’s feed-gas strategy. Recognising the risks of over-reliance on shareholder joint-venture gas supplies, he championed a bold diversification drive. In August 2025, NLNG signed long-term Gas Supply Agreements (GSAs) with six third-party gas suppliers, securing an estimated 1,290 million standard cubic feet per day of feed-gas. The move marked a historic departure from NLNG’s traditional supply model and significantly strengthened the company’s resilience and long-term sustainability.

Beyond supply security, Mshelbila drove a broader transformation agenda focused on emissions reduction, environmental stewardship, and operational safety. Osobu noted that the outgoing MD inspired a renewed workforce commitment to innovation and sustainability, laying foundations for future value creation in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Echoing these sentiments, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, praised Mshelbila’s leadership style and foresight. “You led with humility but inspired excellence. You carried immense challenges with calm resolve and charted a path toward sustainability long before it became fashionable”, she said

In his response, Mshelbila thanked NLNG’s shareholders, Board, employees, and industry partners for their support, describing NLNG’s culture of innovation and excellence as a defining strength he would carry into his new role. As Secretary-General of GECF, he said, his focus would be on strengthening cooperation between gas-producing and gas-consuming nations and advancing natural gas as a reliable and sustainable energy source in the global transition.

With Falade’s appointment, NLNG signals continuity in global outlook and operational discipline, even as the company prepares for its next phase. For Mshelbila, the transition marks not just the end of a corporate tenure, but the start of a broader role shaping the future of gas on the world stage.

By Ambrose Nnaji

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has added another major boost to Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity with the successful restoration of 450MW at the Geregu National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), following the completion of an extended four-week maintenance programme executed by Siemens Energy.

According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, the maintenance—an extended minor inspection—was targeted at improving the plant’s operational reliability, performance, and overall efficiency. The intervention also extends the plant’s Equivalent Operating Hours (EOH), ensuring a longer operating lifespan.

Engr. Adighije disclosed that the Geregu restoration is part of a wider recovery drive that has seen NDPHC revive six previously dormant gas turbines across its power fleet in the last year. The recovered units include GT4 at Calabar NIPP, GT1 at Omotosho II, GT1 and GT2 at Benin NIPP, and GT4 at Sapele NIPP. At the Alaoji NIPP plant, GT3 and GT4 are now fully restored and standing by for pre-commissioning, pending the conclusion of gas supplies remedial work.

Collectively, the recovered gas turbines represent a cumulative 875MW in mechanical available generation capacity, positioning NDPHC as a critical contributor to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to expand generation output and strengthen grid reliability.

In a major step toward reclaiming dormant national assets, Engr. Adighije also confirmed the commencement of restoration activities at the 225MW Gbarain NIPP plant, which has remained idle since 2020. She described the project as strategic, noting that the restored capacity would help serve industrial and commercial clusters across the Niger Delta region while supporting the company’s commercialisation plans.

Despite the sector’s persistent operational and financing constraints, NDPHC has recorded significant milestones over the past year. Notable achievements include the recovery of 110 containers—containing critical turbine parts and HRSG components—abandoned at the Onne Port for nearly a decade. The company also initiated the Light up Nigeria – Agbara industrial cluster project, which aims to supply dedicated power to the Agbara Industrial Estate, alongside a 10MW embedded solar project targeted at an industrial zone in Kano.

On the transmission and distribution side, NDPHC completed key projects in Borno and Delta States and delivered the Afam–Ikot Ekpene 330kV double-circuit transmission line, a development expected to ease grid congestion and improve stability.

Financially, the company achieved notable progress, including the recovery of over $10 million in legacy debts from bilateral customers and securing $15 million in insurance claims related to the fire incident at the Alaoji plant. Additionally, advanced discussions with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) are ongoing to recover NDPHC’s investments in Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) projects.

The resolution of longstanding commercial disputes with ACCUGAS led to an amendment of the gas supply agreement, effectively reducing the federal government’s exposure and improving NDPHC’s operational sustainability.

Internally, the company has implemented reforms aimed at streamlining operations and enhancing staff welfare, including the establishment of a procurement benchmarking desk, the introduction of computer-based staff performance testing, and a management support allowance designed to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

Reaffirming the company’s broader vision, Engr. Adighije stated that NDPHC remains committed to “restoring dormant capacity, stabilising operations, and supporting the national goal of a reliable and sustainable power supply value chain.” She emphasised that transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement would continue to drive the company’s efforts toward ensuring universal access to electricity for households and businesses across Nigeria.

By Ambrose Nnaji

The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has renewed its pledge to push the Nigerian Content beyond regulatory compliance toward deeper integration of indigenous expertise, enterprise development, and community-driven value creation across the energy value chain.

This commitment was underscored during the Appreciation Night, themed: “Deepening Stakeholders’ Collaboration for Sustainable Economic Development.” The event brought together regulators, executives, and Nigerian Content advocates in recognition of leadership and excellence within the sector.

Speaking at the event, NLNG Deputy Managing Director, Olakunle Osobu, emphasised that the Company’s Nigerian Content vision is built on leadership, impact, and legacy. He noted that NLNG is not merely meeting mandated thresholds but setting transformational benchmarks through strategic investments in local talent, technology, and partnerships.

“Our journey in Nigerian Content is about creating opportunities, not just fulfilling compliance targets. We are building capacity and enabling growth that lasts—driven by strong collaboration with NCDMB and other partners,” Osobu said.

The Nigeria LNG Limited hosted the leadership of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and other key players in the oil and gas industry during its 2025 Nigerian Content Stakeholders’ Retreat in Finima, Bonny Island, Rivers State—reaffirming its commitment to deepening collaboration and advancing indigenous capacity within the nation’s energy ecosystem.

The week-long engagement opened with a community contractor capacity-building session, followed by a movie premiere, a mini-exhibition showcasing Bonny Island vendors, a tour of the ongoing Train 7 facility, and a set of social and sporting activities between NLNG and NCDMB teams. The exhibition created a marketplace for local entrepreneurs to present products and innovations to major industry stakeholders—a deliberate initiative by NLNG to stimulate community commerce and strengthen local enterprise participation in the supply chain.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe—represented by Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele—commended NLNG for sustaining the retreat as an open platform for dialogue, collaboration, and shared industrial progress. He noted that both organisations have successfully implemented joint initiatives such as the Service Level Agreement (SLA), Technical Working Group (TWG), and staff secondment—demonstrating that regulatory authorities and operators can maintain a mutually beneficial partnership.

Ogbe further applauded NLNG’s achievements in the execution of the Train 7 project and its measurable contributions to local economic value, urging the company to continue championing initiatives that further solidify Nigeria’s footprint in the global LNG landscape.