Falade appointed NLNG MD as Mshelbila bows out

NLNG appoints Falade MD from Brunei LNG as Philip Mshelbila exits after a transformative tenure to take up a global gas leadership role

The Board of Directors of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited has approved the appointment of Engineer Adeleye Falade as the company’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 2026.

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Engineer Adeleye Falade will join NLNG from Brunei LNG, where he currently serves as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment follows the planned exit of Mr Philip Mshelbila, who will leave NLNG on December 31, 2025, after more than four years as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Philip Mshelbila is set to assume office as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Doha, Qatar.

NLNG marked the end of Mr Mshelbila’s tenure with a send-off ceremony held in Abuja on Friday, attended by members of the Board of Directors, shareholder representatives, senior public officials, industry stakeholders, management staff, and employee groups.

Speaking at the event, NLNG Deputy Managing Director Mr Olakunle Osobu described Mr Mshelbila as a distinguished professional whose leadership combined technical depth, strategic clarity, and global energy diplomacy.

Mr Osobu said Mr Mshelbila assumed office during a turbulent period marked by the COVID-19 aftermath, severe flooding that disrupted gas pipelines, vandalism, supplier force majeure declarations, and global energy instability following the Russia–Ukraine war.

Despite these challenges, Mr Osobu said NLNG remained resilient and focused on sustainability under Mr Mshelbila’s leadership.

He disclosed that the outgoing Managing Director led a strategic expansion of NLNG’s feed-gas supply base beyond shareholder joint ventures, resulting in long-term Gas Supply Agreements with six third-party suppliers in August 2025.

The agreements are expected to deliver about 1,290 million standard cubic feet per day of gas, a move described as a historic milestone for the company.

NLNG General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs Sophia Horsfall, praised Mr Mshelbila’s steady leadership, humility, and long-term vision.

Mrs Horsfall said Mr Mshelbila championed environmental stewardship, emissions reduction, and a transformation programme that repositioned NLNG for sustainable growth.

In his remarks, Mr Mshelbila thanked NLNG’s shareholders, Board, employees, and partners for their support, describing the company’s culture of innovation as a defining strength.

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Mr Mshelbila said he would continue to advocate natural gas as a reliable and sustainable energy source in his new global role.