The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has extended warm congratulations to President Bola Tinubu on Nigeria’s landmark diplomatic success at the 27th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), held in Doha, Qatar.
In a statement made available to TheIdeal News on Friday by the Office of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tuggar disclosed that Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), was elected Secretary-General of the GECF, while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, emerged as President of the 2026 GECF Ministerial Meeting.
Ambassador Tuggar described the two accomplishments as “clear testaments to President Tinubu’s proactive foreign policy engagements and his strategic vision to restore Nigeria’s influence in global energy diplomacy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He emphasized that these diplomatic breakthroughs reflect months of deliberate, coordinated foreign policy actions led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in support of Nigeria’s candidature.
According to him, Nigeria’s diplomatic missions across all GECF member states actively championed the campaign, formally initiating engagements and seeking collective endorsement from African member nations.
The Minister explained that the nation’s embassies were mobilized to engage, consult, and lobby voting members in close synergy with bilateral and multilateral efforts at major summits, including the BRICS Summit in Brazil and the African Union’s 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
These sustained efforts, he noted, received decisive political reinforcement from the Presidency, which ensured that Nigeria’s bid garnered wide-ranging international backing.
Ambassador Tuggar commended Dr. Mshelbila and Minister Ekpo for their distinguished professional pedigree and wealth of experience, asserting that their elections “represent victories not only for Nigeria but for Africa’s collective voice in global energy governance.”
He expressed optimism that both men would further strengthen the GECF’s strategic role in advancing the global energy transition, fostering fair resource management, and promoting sustainable development.
Tuggar further reaffirmed the Ministry’s unwavering dedication to aligning Nigeria’s foreign policy with President Tinubu’s broader vision of a reformed, respected, and economically dynamic nation—one whose international engagements continue to yield concrete dividends for its citizens.
