•Nigeria commissions 40,000-LPG vessel to push cleaner fuel
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Nigeria is positioned to deliver clean and sustainable energy solutions not only within the country but also across Africa and beyond.

Tinubu made the remarks yesterday at the commissioning of a 40,000 cubic metres (CBM) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessel, christened “MT Iyaloja (Lagos),” in Ulsan, South Korea.

The vessel, owned by WAGL Energy Limited, a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and Sahara Group, is a dual-fuel, fully refrigerated LPG carrier, bringing WAGL’s total LPG vessel capacity to 162,000 CBM. Other vessels in its fleet include MT Africa Gas, MT Sahara Gas, MT BaruMK, and MT Sapet.

Represented at the event by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, the President commended WAGL Energy Limited, NNPC Ltd., and Sahara Group for their “strategic foresight, technical excellence, and unwavering dedication to expanding Africa’s role in the global clean energy value chain.”

According to him, the commissioning also reflects Sahara Group’s sustained investments in LPG storage and distribution infrastructure to address energy access, affordability, and security across the continent.

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described WAGL’s new LPG vessel as a milestone for Nigeria’s gas development programme.

Ojulari, represented by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, explained that the vessel would play a crucial role in deepening the economic impact of gas in Nigeria.

WAGL’s Chairman and Executive Director, Sahara Group, Temitope Shonubi, said the expansion demonstrated the company’s vision of bridging Africa’s critical energy infrastructure gap.

“The addition of MT Iyaloja (Lagos) embodies the spirit of progress and empowerment championed by the iconic Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, whose legacy we honour. Sahara Group is proud of its partnership with NNPC Ltd. and reaffirms its commitment to partnerships that drive energy access in Africa,” Shonubi added.

In hisspeech, WAGL’s Managing Director, Mohammed Sani Bello, noted that the company was committed to strengthening its integrated supply network across the energy value chain.