President Bola Tinubu has commissioned a 40,000-cubic-metre (CBM) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessel owned by WAGL Energy Limited, a joint venture between NNPC Limited and Sahara Group, in Ulsan, South Korea.
The dual-fuel, fully refrigerated carrier, christened “MT Iyaloja (Lagos),” raises WAGL’s fleet capacity to 162,000 CBM. Other vessels in its portfolio include MT Africa Gas, MT Sahara Gas, MT BaruMK, and MT Sapet.
The president, who was represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, President Tinubu hailed the commissioning as a milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to providing clean and sustainable energy solutions across Africa and beyond.
“This development reflects Nigeria’s readiness to lead Africa’s clean energy transition while ensuring energy security and affordability for our people,” Tinubu said.
According to Sahara Group’s spokesperson, Bethel Obioma, the launch underscores the company’s pledge to invest in LPG infrastructure to tackle energy access and affordability challenges across the continent.
NNPC Ltd.’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Ojulari—represented by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye—described the vessel as a strategic asset for Nigeria’s gas development programme. He noted that NNPC has delivered more than six million metric tonnes of LPG across West Africa over the past five years.
WAGL’s Chairman and Sahara Group Executive Director, Temitope Shonubi, said the vessel symbolises progress and empowerment, honouring the legacy of the late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mother of President Tinubu. The ship’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by Mogaji’s granddaughter, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Alhaja Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.
WAGL’s Managing Director, Mohammed Sani Bello, revealed plans to expand the fleet further with the addition of a Small Gas Carrier and a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) within the next two years.
