The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to securing Nigeria’s critical national assets. This was noted in a statement on Thursday.

Defence minister Christopher Musa gave the assurance when he hosted the executive leadership of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, at the Ministry of Defence Headquarter, Abuja.

The high-level meeting focused on strengthening security collaboration to protect vital energy infrastructure, safeguard national economic stability, and support NLNG’s capacity expansion projects.

Mr Musa acknowledged the strategic importance of gas to Nigeria’s economy and stressed that close collaboration was the most effective way to resolve operational bottlenecks.

To address insecurity in the maritime domain, he highlighted the creation of a dedicated Maritime Task Force operating in the Gulf of Guinea.

He also called for collective problem-solving to overcome existing constraints.

”In light of a global slowdown in international arms procurement, Nigeria is building capacity in local defence production as a sustainable, long-term solution,” he said.

He reiterated the Armed Forces’ commitment to cooperation and assured the NLNG delegation of full support.

”I assure you that we are together, and we are going to give you all the support that you need,” he added.

The NLNG CEO, Leye Falade, who led the delegation, thanked the Nigerian Armed Forces for safeguarding critical infrastructure essential to economic growth.

Mr Falade noted that disruptions to NLNG operations directly impact the upstream supply chain and, by extension, national output. He also underscored the human element in their mission, particularly those occassioned by lack of clean cooking alternatives, a crisis he said the NLNG was actively to alleviate to surge.

“The military has significantly stepped up to help us continue serving the nation. As one of Nigeria’s highest tax-paying organisations, we want to do even more for the economy.

‘’We are currently expanding our capacity by 35 per cent through our Train ‘7’ project, and safeguarding these operations is paramount to balancing the expectations of our shareholders with our national mandate,” Mr Falade said.

He commended the Nigerian Navy for its exceptional role in providing maritime safety security and emphasised the indispensable role the armed forces play in securing the country’s economic value chain.

The visit concluded with both parties agreeing to establish closer operational synergy to guarantee that NLNG’s expansion and ongoing operations remain secure, resilient, and primed to power Nigeria’s future economic growth.

(NAN)