By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has tasked the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited with ending gas flaring and converting the country’s gas reserves into greater economic benefits for Nigerians.
The President gave the charge on Wednesday, 26 August, 2026, at the State House, Abuja, when he received the NLNG Board, led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, who briefed him on the company’s operations, performance and expansion plans.
Tinubu said Nigeria must move beyond increasing revenue from international markets and place greater emphasis on domestic gas utilisation, particularly by eliminating flaring and deploying the resource to meet the country’s energy needs.
He said gas flaring should be transformed from an environmental liability into an economic asset capable of benefiting consumers and strengthening the national economy.
The President commended the NLNG management for increasing its capacity and improving returns on investment, assuring the company of his administration’s readiness to provide incentives required to stimulate further growth.
He said the country’s natural resources would have little value if they remained underground, stressing the need to harness them to serve the economy and improve the welfare of Nigerians.
Tinubu also urged the company to consider the domestication of energy requirements and appropriate pricing mechanisms to ensure that ordinary Nigerians felt the impact of the country’s energy resources.
Earlier, Falade said the NLNG team was at the State House to brief the President on the company’s operations since the current management assumed office in April.
He disclosed that NLNG had generated more than $150 billion since inception, while its shareholders, including Nigeria, had received about $47 billion in dividends. Nigeria holds a 49 per cent stake in the company.
Falade explained that NLNG previously operated at about 60 per cent capacity because inadequate crude oil production limited the company to four of its six available production trains.
He, however, said increased crude oil production following positive developments in the oil and gas sector had enabled the company to raise its operating capacity to five trains, with further improvements expected.
According to him, all liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, produced by NLNG is currently directed to the domestic market.
He added that the company was preparing to inaugurate Train Seven, which would increase its capacity by 35 per cent and further strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global LNG market.
Falade said NLNG currently accounts for about five per cent of the global LNG market, adding that the company’s shareholders had commended the stability in Nigeria’s fiscal environment, which he said was attracting further investment.
He also commended security agencies and regulators in the oil and gas sector for contributing to the stability recorded in the industry.
The NLNG chief executive disclosed that the Bonny-Bodo Road and Bridge project, financed by the company, had been completed and was awaiting official commissioning.
Other members of the NLNG delegation were the Deputy Managing Director, Olakunle Osobu; Board Director, Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited and Country Chair of TotalEnergies, Matthieu Bouyer; Board Director, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Nigeria Agip Exploration, Maurizio Pinna; and General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall.
Also present were the Manager, Government Relations and Regulatory Compliance, Abdul Umar; Head, Government Relations, Tonbrafa Nanaghan; and Senior Government Relations Adviser, Rufai Mohammed Lawal.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Energy Transition, Yasmin Mohammed, attended the meeting.
