The Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa Gwabin (Rtd), has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to securing critical national assets across the country.
The Minister made this known while hosting the executive leadership of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Leye Falade, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Ship House, Abuja.
This was contained in a press release signed on May 21, 2026, by the Senior Adviser on Media to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Mrs. Lead Katung Babatunde.
The meeting centred on strengthening security collaboration aimed at protecting vital energy infrastructure, ensuring national economic stability, and supporting NLNG’s ongoing capacity expansion projects.
Speaking during the meeting, General Christopher Musa (Rtd) reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to secure strategic national assets, stressing the importance of the gas sector to Nigeria’s economy.
“Nigeria needs gas,” the Minister stated, adding that close collaboration between security agencies and stakeholders remains the most effective path to resolving operational bottlenecks affecting the sector.
To address insecurity within the maritime domain, General Musa disclosed that the government has established a dedicated Maritime Task Force operating within the Gulf of Guinea to enhance security operations and protect critical infrastructure.
He further called for collective efforts in tackling security challenges, noting that collaboration among all stakeholders is essential to overcoming existing constraints.
In view of the global slowdown in international arms procurement, the Defence Minister also revealed that Nigeria is increasingly focusing on building local defence production capacity as a sustainable long-term solution to national security challenges.
Earlier in his remarks, the NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Leye Falade, expressed profound appreciation to the Nigerian Armed Forces for their steadfast commitment to safeguarding critical national infrastructure vital to economic growth.
Falade noted that as a joint venture with majority government ownership, disruptions in operations directly affect the upstream supply chain and ultimately impact national output and revenue generation.
He also highlighted the human dimension of NLNG’s mission, particularly the challenge posed by the lack of clean cooking alternatives, which the company is working hard to address amid growing domestic demand.
“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 percent through our Train 7 Project, and safeguarding these operations is paramount to balancing the expectations of our shareholders with our national mandate,” Falade stated.
In response, General Musa reassured the delegation of the Armed Forces’ full support and cooperation.
“I assure you that we are together, and we are going to give you all the support that you need,” the Defence Minister said.
The visit concluded with both parties agreeing to establish closer operational synergy to ensure that NLNG’s expansion projects and ongoing operations remain secure, resilient, and capable of driving N
igeria’s future economic growth.