The NLNG Board of Directors, led by the Board Chairman, HM King Dr. Edmund M. Daukoru (third left), presents a parting gift to Mr. Philip Mshelbila (centre), Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited, during a send-off ceremony held on Friday in Abuja to mark the end of his tenure at the Company.
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on Friday in Abuja held a send-off ceremony in honour of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Philip Mshelbila, as he prepares to exit the Company after over four years in office.
Mshelbila is scheduled to leave NLNG on Dec. 31, 2025, to assume duties as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar.
The ceremony was attended by members of the NLNG Board of Directors, executives of shareholder companies, stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector, NLNG management staff, and representatives of various staff groups.
The NLNG Board has approved the appointment of Engr. Adeleye Falade as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Falade is expected to assume office in April 2026 and will be joining NLNG from Brunei LNG, where he currently serves as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Speaking at the event, NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Olakunle Osobu, described Mshelbila as a distinguished professional with wide-ranging expertise in medicine, environmental health, business leadership, and global gas diplomacy.
Osobu said the outgoing MD assumed office at a time of severe operational and market challenges, including the aftermath of COVID-19, widespread flooding, pipeline vandalism, and repeated force majeure declarations by gas suppliers.
He added that global energy disruptions arising from the Russia–Ukraine conflict further tested the resilience of the Company during Mshelbila’s tenure.
According to Osobu, Mshelbila responded to these challenges by prioritising sustainability, safety, emissions reduction, and business continuity, while driving innovation across the organisation.
He noted that one of Mshelbila’s major achievements was the expansion of NLNG’s feed-gas supply base beyond the shareholder joint-venture structure.
Osobu said this strategy led to the signing of long-term Gas Supply Agreements with six third-party suppliers in August 2025, committing about 1,290 million standard cubic feet per day of gas to the Company.
Also speaking, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs. Sophia Horsfall, commended Mshelbila’s leadership, humility, and foresight in positioning the Company for long-term sustainability.
She said Mshelbila provided steady leadership and clear direction during a period of uncertainty in the global energy industry.
In his response, Mshelbila thanked NLNG’s shareholders, Board of Directors, management, staff, and partners for their support throughout his tenure.
He said he would take the values of innovation, excellence, and collaboration fostered at NLNG into his new role at the GECF to promote natural gas as a reliable and sustainable energy source globally.
