Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has attributed the success of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) business model adopted by the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies.
Governor Fubara made the remarks while receiving the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
He noted that NLNG has not only survived the difficult business environment but has also recorded sustained progress over nearly three decades of its existence.
According to him, the decision by the Federal Government to allow the multinational oil companies, with their required expertise, to run the establishment while the government plays a supervisory role has been largely responsible for its success.
“I’m very proud to say that if there is one establishment that has shown resilience and survived in the face of all the political issues prevalent in this country, it is the NLNG. And what is the reason? The reason is very simple. The government has no business in business. That is the truth.”
“Leave the business for those people who can operate it. Let the government play its supervisory role to ensure compliance with the laws, maintain standards, and ensure that the right people with the needed expertise are at the helm of affairs. That is all. I think that is the reason why we still record a lot of successes in NLNG,” he said.
Governor Fubara pledged the support of his administration for the company, stressing that the success of the organisation is equally the success of the Rivers State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Our duty is to make sure that we support whoever is operating in our state. We are the ones here. If we don’t support you and you don’t succeed, we also will not succeed, and Mr President will also not succeed.”
“So the success of your establishment is the success of our state, and the overall success of Nigeria. So you can count on our support. Wherever you think we need to come in to support you, please do not hesitate to call upon us.”
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“You just mentioned here that your predecessor left a handover note showcasing the level of support that he got from the state. It is not going to be different in your own case. I can assure you that. I will also ensure that other units of the government will liaise with you when necessary. So even if you can’t get to me, you can always get to them, and if there is anything we can do to help your establishment succeed, we will do it for you,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the new CEO of NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade, who led other top officials of the company on the visit, expressed appreciation for the audience granted to them and appealed to the Rivers State Government to continue supporting the organisation.
“We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and deepen this important relationship. We deeply value the support the Rivers State Government continues to extend in fostering an enabling operating environment for businesses. NLNG remains deliberate in its contribution to Nigeria’s development, and Rivers State, our primary host, continues to be central to that commitment,” he said.
The company, Falade said, has continued to work with its host communities to strengthen their capacity to identify, prioritise, and deliver sustainable development initiatives that create lasting impact.
According to him, communities including Amadi-ama, Abua, Ekpeye, Okrika, Kalabari, and Emohua have continued to benefit from this model.
He said that beyond community infrastructure, NLNG has sustained investments in economic empowerment through initiatives such as the Vocational Innovation and Business Empowerment Scheme (VIBES) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) schemes.
Among the officials of the company who accompanied the Managing Director were General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall; Manager, Government Relations, Mr Abdul Umar; Manager, Community Relations, Dr Yemi Adeyemi; Head of Government Relations, Mr Mike Igoni; and Head of Community Liaison and Engagement.
