Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has announced the assumption of office of Adeleye Falade as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant leadership transition at a crucial moment for the company.
Falade officially resumed duties on Wednesday at the company’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, succeeding Philip Mshelbila, who has moved on to serve as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development.
His appointment comes at a strategic period for NLNG, with the highly anticipated Train 7 expansion project approaching completion. Once operational, the project is expected to substantially increase the company’s output and further strengthen Nigeria’s standing in the international liquefied natural gas market.
Before his latest appointment, Falade served as the Managing Director of Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad, where he led key operational and strategic activities within one of the world’s long-established LNG facilities.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Falade brings a wealth of global expertise spanning LNG production, engineering systems, business transformation, and operational efficiency. His professional journey within the Shell Group has seen him occupy several high-level technical and executive positions across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Africa.
His extensive leadership portfolio also includes a previous stint as Country Chair for Shell Namibia, where he oversaw corporate strategy and stakeholder relations.
Falade is no stranger to NLNG, having previously served in top operational roles within the company. From 2019 to 2023, he was General Manager, Production, where he played a key role in maintaining production reliability, safety standards, and plant efficiency at the Bonny Island facility.
Earlier, he held the position of Operations Manager, overseeing plant performance and daily operations. He also served in The Hague, Netherlands, as Regional Asset Management System Implementation Manager for Shell, leading initiatives aimed at improving reliability and efficiency across global assets.
Academically, Falade holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ibadan, as well as an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a registered member of COREN, in addition to his membership of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
His appointment also highlights NLNG’s continued commitment to indigenous leadership, as he joins an all-Nigerian executive management team.
Industry observers say his leadership begins at a defining moment for the company, especially following the recent signing of long-term gas supply agreements with six third-party suppliers aimed at strengthening feed gas supply to the Bonny trains.
With Train 7 nearing completion, expectations are high that Falade’s experience will help drive the next phase of growth for NLNG and Nigeria’s energy ambitions.