President Tinubu immortalises late mother with commissioning of MT Iyaloja (Lagos), a 40,000 CBM LPG carrier, boosting NNPC–Sahara gas fleet

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has honoured the memory of his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, with the commissioning of a new 40,000 cubic metre Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, named MT Iyaloja (Lagos), in Ulsan, South Korea.

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The commissioning was disclosed in a statement issued by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Monday.

The vessel, owned by WAGL Energy Limited a joint venture between NNPC Ltd. and Sahara Group is a dual-fuel, fully refrigerated LPG carrier.

Its addition brings WAGL’s total fleet capacity to 162,000 CBM, complementing its existing carriers: MT Africa Gas, MT Sahara Gas, MT BaruMK and MT Sapet.

Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of the President, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, praised NNPC Ltd. and Sahara Group for their role in deepening Africa’s participation in the global clean energy value chain.

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Ojulari, represented by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, described the vessel as a key asset for Nigeria’s gas-driven economic development.

“NNPC Ltd. is proud to be a major shareholder in this indigenous company which, in addition to the newly commissioned MT Iyaloja (Lagos), owns four other LPG vessels in its growing fleet, delivering over 6 million MT of LPG across West Africa in the last five years,” Ojulari said.

Also speaking, Temitope Shonubi, Chairman/Executive Director at Sahara Group, said the expansion reflects the company’s commitment to bridging Africa’s 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 stated.

WAGL’s Managing Director, Mohammed Bello, added that the company will expand its fleet further within two years with the introduction of a Small Gas Carrier and a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC).

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The ceremony concluded with a symbolic ribbon-cutting performed by Alhaja Folasade Mujidat Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and granddaughter of Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.