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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday received Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and Nigeria LNG Limited’s Managing Director/CEO, Philip Mshelbila, recently elected to prominent leadership positions at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Mshelbila competed against other member countries of GECF, including Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel, who is the outgoing Secretary-General, before he was elected. The election took place at the 27th Ministerial Meeting of the GECF in Doha, Qatar.
The President praised their achievements and charged them to serve as exemplary ambassadors of Nigeria on the global energy stage.
Ekpo, speaking to State House Correspondents, shared details of the recent 27th Ministerial Meeting of the GECF held in Doha, Qatar, where Mshelbila was elected Secretary-General of the Forum starting January 2026, while Ekpo himself was appointed President of the GECF Ministerial Meeting for 2026.
Ekpo described the dual victory as a significant win for Nigeria, crediting the administration’s focus on natural gas as a cornerstone of national economic growth and energy security.
“This is a big visibility for Nigeria in the gas space,” Ekpo said. “We should celebrate our President and celebrate Nigeria for this big win.” He highlighted that the election of Nigeria’s candidates is set to attract investments into the Nigerian gas sector, creating job opportunities and optimising the nation’s vast gas reserves estimated at 210 trillion cubic feet.
The Minister also addressed ongoing local challenges such as limited gas availability for vehicles converted to gas, affirming that the elevated roles would stimulate upstream exploration and infrastructure growth in Nigeria’s gas industry.
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Upon their presentation to the President, Ekpo said, “Mr President is really happy about what we have done. He congratulated the Secretary and congratulated me and charged us to be good ambassadors of our dear country, Nigeria, which, of course, we promise to live up to expectation.”
Mshelbila, also speaking, expressed pride in Nigeria’s leadership role within the GECF, an organisation representing countries holding about 70% of the world’s natural gas reserves and roughly half of global LNG exports. The position, he said, offers Nigeria a platform to attract investment and lead activities spanning upstream to downstream gas development.
“Nigeria has always been seen as a gas resource-rich country, but we have not exploited it to the extent we could,” Mshelbila noted. “On the platform of the Decade of Gas, we have the opportunity to pursue projects that will enable Nigeria to benefit fully from its gas resources.”
President Tinubu, in a congratulatory statement earlier, issued in a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasised the significance of the appointments: “The Nigerian government is proud of Mshelbila’s election as Secretary-General and Ekpo’s emergence as President of the GECF Ministerial meeting, as these reflect the international community’s confidence in Nigeria’s leadership and technical expertise in the global gas sector.”
He reaffirmed natural gas as central to Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring that Nigeria will remain a dependable voice for equitable energy access and a cleaner energy future.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other stakeholders had lauded the appointments, highlighting the strategic role Nigeria now plays in global gas diplomacy and the expected positive impact on local industry growth and investment.
