Nigeria Set to Make Remarkable Gas Development Progress — NNPCL
By Naija Enquirer Staff
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has announced that Nigeria and NNPC Ltd are set to make remarkable progress in positioning natural gas as a pivotal resource for inclusive and sustainable development.
Ojulari made this statement following the election of Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd, as the new Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). He said the development marks a defining moment that places Nigeria firmly on the global energy map as a nation with the capacity to drive economic growth through gas development.
The NNPC Ltd also congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his pivotal role in Mshelbila’s emergence, describing it as a historic milestone and a testament to the Federal Government’s Gas Agenda aimed at utilising natural gas as a major fuel for industrial growth and economic transformation.
Mshelbila, who was elected during the 27th Ministerial Meeting of the GECF held in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, succeeds Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel as the 5th Secretary General of the global organisation. The GECF has long served as a leading voice in promoting natural gas as a cornerstone of sustainable global development.
Ojulari praised Mshelbila’s achievements at Nigeria LNG, stating: “NNPC Ltd is proud of what Mshelbila has accomplished at NLNG, where he has worked tirelessly to transform Nigeria’s vast gas reserves into export-grade LNG, LPG, and condensates — serving both domestic and international markets.”
He added, “With this feat, Philip Mshelbila has put Nigeria on the global energy map for good. This demonstrates that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Gas to Prosperity agenda—focused on using natural gas as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth, energy security, and economic transformation—is on the right trajectory.”
The GCEO also extended his 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. Ojulari commended the Minister’s ongoing efforts to harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrialisation and national development.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is an international intergovernmental organisation that provides a platform for the exchange of experience and information among its Member Countries. Representing the world’s leading gas-exporting nations, the GECF promotes constructive dialogue between gas producers and consumers to ensure the stability and security of global gas supply and demand.
Current GECF Member Countries include Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Observer Members include Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal.
Collectively, GECF Member Countries hold 69% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, account for 39% of marketed production, contribute 40% of global gas exports, and represent 51% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports worldwide.
