Nigeria has taken another step toward strengthening its gas supply chain with the commissioning of a new 40,000 cubic meters (CBM) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessel in Ulsan, South Korea.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, inaugurated the carrier on Monday, affirming his administration’s resolve to make LPG more affordable and accessible nationwide.
The vessel, MT Iyaloja (Lagos), is owned by WAGL Energy Limited, a joint venture between NNPC Ltd. and Sahara Group. It is a dual-fuel, fully refrigerated LPG carrier, raising WAGL’s total capacity to 162,000 CBM across a fleet of five vessels, including MT Africa Gas, MT Sahara Gas, MT BaruMK, and MT Sapet.
Tinubu lauded WAGL, NNPC and Sahara Group for their “strategic foresight and technical excellence,” stressing that Nigeria was committed to delivering clean energy solutions across Africa.
Mele Kyari, NNPC Ltd.’s Group Chief Executive Officer, represented by EVP Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, described the vessel as a milestone in gas sector development. He said NNPC would continue to push for wider LPG penetration, noting that WAGL has delivered over six million MT of LPG across West Africa in the last five years.
Temitope Shonubi, WAGL Chairman and Sahara Group Executive Director, said the expansion demonstrated the company’s ambition to bridge Africa’s energy infrastructure gap responsibly. Managing Director Mohammed Bello disclosed that WAGL plans to add a Small Gas Carrier and a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) within the next two years.
The vessel was christened in honour of Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the late mother of President Tinubu, symbolising empowerment and progress. Her granddaughter, Alhaja Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Industry analysts say the commissioning highlights Nigeria’s drive to leverage gas as a transition fuel, with growing emphasis on private-public partnerships to accelerate infrastructure development.
