End of an era at NLNG as Mshelbila exits, Falade named successor

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has formally marked the end of the tenure of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, following more than four years of leadership that reshaped the company’s operational and sustainability outlook.

The company on Friday held a symbolic sendoff ceremony in Abuja, attended by members of the NLNG Board of Directors, executives of shareholder companies, industry stakeholders, senior government officials, management staff and representatives of various staff groups.

Mshelbila is scheduled to exit the company on December 31, 2025, ahead of his assumption of office as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, the NLNG Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Engr. Adeleye Falade as the company’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Falade is expected to assume duties 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, Olakunle Osobu, described Mshelbila as an accomplished professional whose career spans medicine, environmental health, business strategy and global gas diplomacy. He said the outgoing MD assumed leadership at a time of severe disruption, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread flooding that affected gas pipelines, vandalism, supplier force majeure declarations and global energy shocks triggered by the Russia–Ukraine war.

Despite the challenges, Osobu said Mshelbila remained focused on business sustainability, operational diversification, emissions control and safety, steering the company through one of the most turbulent periods in the global energy market.

A major milestone of Mshelbila’s tenure, Osobu revealed, was the expansion of NLNG’s feed-gas sourcing strategy. In August 2025, the company signed long-term Gas Supply Agreements with six third-party suppliers, securing an estimated 1,290 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The move marked a significant departure from reliance on shareholder joint-venture supplies and was described as a historic shift in NLNG’s business model.

Also speaking, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, praised Mshelbila’s leadership style, describing him as a steady and visionary leader who prioritised sustainability before it became an industry catchphrase.

“You led with humility, inspired excellence, and carried the burden of leadership with calm resolve,” Horsfall said, noting that his tenure laid a solid foundation for long-term value creation and environmental stewardship.

In his response, Mshelbila expressed gratitude to NLNG’s shareholders, Board, management, staff and industry partners for their support throughout his time in office. He said the company’s culture of innovation and excellence would remain a guiding principle as he transitions to his new international role.

As Secretary-General of the GECF, Mshelbila is expected to play a key role in strengthening dialogue between gas-producing and gas-consuming nations, while promoting natural gas as a reliable and sustainable energy source in the global energy transition.