By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned a 40,000 cubic metres (CBM) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, MT Iyaloja (Lagos), owned by WAGL Energy Limited, a joint venture between NNPC Limited and Sahara Group.
The commissioning ceremony took place in Ulsan, South Korea, with the President represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The newly unveiled vessel, a dual-fuel and fully refrigerated LPG carrier, increases WAGL’s fleet capacity to 162,000 CBM. Other vessels in its fleet include MT Africa Gas, MT Sahara Gas, MT BaruMK, and MT Sapet.
Tinubu commended WAGL Energy, NNPC Limited and Sahara Group for what he described as their “strategic foresight, technical excellence, and unwavering dedication to expanding Africa’s role in the global clean energy value chain.” He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to delivering clean and sustainable energy solutions across the continent and beyond.
In a statement on Monday, Sahara Group spokesperson Bethel Obioma said the commissioning underscores the company’s investment in LPG storage and distribution to strengthen energy access, affordability and security across Africa.
NNPC Limited Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Ojulari, represented by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, described the vessel as a vital addition to Nigeria’s gas development programme. He said NNPC was committed to making LPG affordable and accessible nationwide, noting that WAGL’s fleet has delivered over six million metric tonnes of LPG across West Africa in the past five years.
WAGL’s Chairman and Sahara Group Executive Director, Temitope Shonubi, said the expansion reflects 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,” he said.
WAGL Managing Director, Mohammed Sani Bello, disclosed that the company plans to expand its fleet further within two years, with the addition of a Small Gas Carrier and a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC).
The ribbon-cutting of MT Iyaloja (Lagos), named in honour of Tinubu’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, was performed by her granddaughter and Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Alhaja Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.
