NLNG concludes leadership transition, Mshelbila begins tenure
The leadership transition period at Nigeria LNG Limited has ended with the former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tony Attah, handing over the symbolic key to NLNG to his successor, Dr Philip Mshelbila.
At a farewell and welcome ceremony held in honour of the executives at the weekend, the NLNG Key changed hands, marking the ceremonial commencement of Mshelbila’s tenure, according to a statement on Monday.
Attah, in his farewell remarks, said, “I thank the staff and our partners who helped achieve our set goals. It was a collective success. I would like to see the five years as foundational.
“Earlier, the ambition of the company was to build only two trains which was referred to as the base project. But we went on to build Trains 3,4,5, and 6. Then, we went into a break for 15 years. We pressed reset, released the ‘pause’ button, and got Train 7. But Train 7 is about the same capacity as Trains 1 and 2. For me, Train 7 is another base project, and we should go on to build other trains. I strongly believe we will.”
Receiving the key, Mshelbila said he was honoured to lead the company and vowed that the company would remain the leading LNG company in Africa and Nigeria’s most successful business model.
He said, “It is with a great sense of responsibility that I stand here today, honoured to be the Managing Director of NLNG. The challenge before us is huge in a world marked by uncertainties and transitions, but I am not daunted. I am not daunted because I stand with a set of seasoned senior and extended management teams who are worth their weight in gold.
“I am not daunted because, together with the management team we have as members of staff, people who possess the right acument and resilience, with deep passion and commitment to move Nigeria LNG forward. These are the people who build the company to where it is today. I am humbled to lead them today.”
He said the compay would complete Train 7 and take more FIDs to secure our place in the global market.
“We will complete the Bonny-Bodo Road and so many other social projects to fulfill our vision of helping to build a better Nigeria,” he said.
The NLNG Board Chairman, Dr Edmund Daukoru, commended Attah for performing to expectation and overcoming the challenges posed by the oil price crash in 2016 and COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, amongst other vital wins.
He assured Mshelbila of the board’s unflinching support to help achieve the company’s set goals.
Attah left NLNG on August 31 to return to his parent company, Shell.
NLNG is owned by four shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49 percent), Shell Gas BV (25.6 percent), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 percent), and Eni International NA N. V. S.àr. l (10.4 percent).
