Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, have emerged as President and Secretary-General of the 2026 Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Ministerial Meeting.
The announcement was contained in a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Andy Odeh, in Abuja.
While congratulating the duo, NNPCL commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his role in their emergence, describing the development as a historic milestone that reinforces the Federal Government’s gas agenda, which prioritizes natural gas as a key driver of industrial and economic growth.
Mshelbila, who was elected during the 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Qatar, succeeds Algeria’s Mohamed Hamel as the fifth Secretary-General of the global organization. The GECF is recognized as a leading platform promoting natural gas as a foundation for global sustainable development.
Commenting on the achievement, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Engr. Bashir Ojulari, commended Mshelbila’s contributions to Nigeria’s gas industry, noting that his leadership at NLNG has helped transform the nation’s gas reserves into export-grade LNG, LPG, and condensates that serve both local and international markets.
“With this accomplishment, Philip Mshelbila has firmly placed Nigeria on the global energy map,” Ojulari said. “It also reflects President Bola Tinubu’s gas-to-prosperity vision, which seeks to make natural gas the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialization, energy security, and economic transformation.”
Ojulari expressed optimism that Mshelbila’s appointment would advance Africa’s and Nigeria’s standing in the global gas sector while ensuring continued progress toward sustainable development.
He also congratulated Minister Ekpo on his election as President of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting, praising his leadership in championing Nigeria’s gas utilization efforts for industrial and economic advancement.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is an intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation among member states and facilitates dialogue between gas producers and consumers to enhance the stability and security of global gas supply and demand.
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 are Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal.
Collectively, GECF members account for 69% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, 39% of marketed production, 40% of global gas exports, and 51% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
