ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Train 7 project as a strategic pillar of Nigeria’s ambition to build a gas-driven economy, saying its successful completion will strengthen exports, create jobs, expand Nigerian participation in the energy industry and boost investor confidence.
The President spoke at the State House in Abuja on Thursday while receiving the NLNG management team, led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, who briefed him on the progress of the Train 7 expansion and the company’s wider contribution to Nigeria’s gas sector.
With Train 7 now more than 90 per cent complete, the project is entering its final phase at a time when the Federal Government is seeking to position natural gas as a major engine of industrialisation, foreign-exchange earnings and economic diversification.
Train 7 at centre of Nigeria’s gas ambitions
Tinubu said Train 7 represents more than an expansion of NLNG’s production infrastructure, arguing that the project demonstrates what can be achieved when government, investors and Nigerian businesses work together on large-scale energy projects.
“I congratulate you, Leye, on your appointment. Train 7 is at the centre of our national gas agenda. Its success matters not only to NLNG, but to Nigeria’s economic future,” the President said.
He congratulated Falade on his appointment and said the new NLNG leadership had assumed responsibility at a pivotal moment for both the company and Nigeria’s broader gas ambitions.
The President said Nigeria’s vast natural-gas resources must increasingly be converted into jobs, exports, industrial growth and sustainable domestic economic value, rather than remaining largely untapped reserves.
He also commended the progress on Train 7, describing the project as an important benchmark for project delivery, Nigerian Content development, partnership and investor confidence.
Tinubu assured NLNG that his administration would continue working to improve the business environment, provide greater regulatory certainty and remove obstacles capable of delaying major investments in the oil and gas industry.
“Nigeria is open for business, but it must be business that creates value at home — building capacity, supporting communities, protecting the environment and contributing to national prosperity. NLNG must continue to lead by example,” he said.
Expansion could deepen Nigeria’s LNG position
Train 7 is designed to expand NLNG’s liquefaction capacity and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the international LNG market.
Its completion is expected to increase the company’s ability to process and export natural gas, while creating additional opportunities for Nigerian contractors, engineers, service companies and other participants in the domestic oil and gas supply chain.
For Nigeria, the project also carries significance beyond LNG exports. Greater gas utilisation could support the development of industries that depend on reliable gas supplies, including power generation, fertiliser, petrochemicals and other gas-intensive manufacturing activities.
The project therefore fits into the Federal Government’s wider strategy of using gas as a transition fuel and an industrial feedstock while seeking to expand Nigeria’s energy revenues and reduce dependence on crude oil.
Falade pledges safe completion of Train 7
Falade thanked Tinubu for his administration’s support for NLNG and the wider gas industry, saying the company remained focused on delivering Train 7 safely and efficiently.
“Train 7 is a strategic national undertaking. With the project now over 90 per cent complete, our immediate priority is to deliver the remaining work safely, efficiently and to the required quality, while preparing the plant for reliable and sustainable operations,” Falade said.
He said the project would expand Nigeria’s LNG production capacity, support export growth and create opportunities for Nigerian workers and businesses.
Falade also stressed the importance of using the project to deepen local participation and capture greater value from Nigeria’s gas resources.
His comments underscore a central issue for Nigeria’s energy sector: whether large-scale oil and gas investments can translate into broader domestic economic benefits through local contracting, skills development, technology transfer, employment and industrial capacity.
LPG affordability becomes key domestic priority
Beyond Train 7, the meeting also focused on the domestic LPG market, including pricing, accessibility and the movement of LPG trucks through the Bonny-Bodo Road corridor.
Falade reaffirmed NLNG’s commitment to supporting the domestic LPG market and expanding access to cleaner cooking fuel for households and businesses.
He called for closer coordination among the Federal Government, regulators and industry operators to increase domestic LPG supply, improve storage and distribution infrastructure and remove unnecessary costs across the value chain.
“Improving LPG accessibility is important to Nigeria’s energy transition and to the wellbeing of millions of Nigerian households. NLNG remains committed to supporting the domestic market, but improving affordability requires coordinated action across the entire LPG value chain,” he said.
The push comes as Nigeria seeks to reduce dependence on traditional cooking fuels and accelerate the adoption of LPG as a cleaner alternative.
NLNG seeks action on taxes, levies and regulation
Falade also raised concerns about the operating environment, particularly the growing number of taxes, levies, charges and regulatory requirements imposed by different government agencies and levels of government.
According to him, overlapping fiscal and regulatory obligations can raise operating costs, increase uncertainty and undermine the attractiveness of Nigeria as a destination for long-term energy investment.
The NLNG chief executive asked for presidential support in addressing these ease-of-doing-business challenges, arguing that a more predictable regulatory and fiscal environment would help existing operators sustain operations while encouraging fresh investment.
The concern is particularly relevant to Nigeria’s efforts to attract capital into gas infrastructure, where projects often require billions of dollars and long investment horizons.
Train 7 and the next phase of Nigeria’s gas economy
The meeting comes as Nigeria seeks to shift more decisively from a predominantly crude-oil-dependent export model towards an economy that captures greater value from its natural-gas reserves.
The successful completion of Train 7 could strengthen that transition by increasing LNG export capacity while supporting a wider ecosystem of Nigerian suppliers and service providers.
But the project’s broader economic impact will depend not only on completing construction. Sustaining gas production, securing feedstock, improving infrastructure, maintaining competitive regulation and expanding domestic gas utilisation will be critical to ensuring that additional LNG capacity translates into durable economic gains.
For the Tinubu administration, Train 7 therefore represents both an infrastructure project and a test of Nigeria’s ability to execute large energy investments while creating greater value within the domestic economy.
The President and NLNG management agreed to maintain momentum as Train 7 enters its final stretch and to deepen collaboration on the company’s wider contribution to Nigeria’s gas development, energy security and economic growth.
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