By Adedapo Adesanya

Transcorp Hotels Plc has appointed Mrs Awele Vivien Elumelu as the chair of its board, effective January 1, 2026.

Her appointment follows the scheduled retirement of the current chairman, Mr Emmanuel N. Nnorom.

Mrs Elumelu, a medical doctor with an MBBS from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and clinical experience in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, brings extensive experience in healthcare, insurance, corporate governance, and philanthropy. She is married to the chairman of Transcorp Plc, Mr Tony Elumelu.

She currently chairs Avon Healthcare Limited, a Nigerian health maintenance organisation, and Avon Medical Practice, a network of hospitals and clinics.

She also chairs Heirs Insurance Brokers and serves as a founding Director of Heirs Holdings Limited. Her executive education includes programmes at Harvard Business School, IMD Switzerland, and the London School of Economics.

According to a statement, her appointment highlights a strategic focus on integrating innovation, wellness, and responsible business practices into Transcorp Hotels’ operations. Mrs Elumelu is also a trustee and co-founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, through which she has supported more than 24,000 African entrepreneurs with training, seed capital, and mentorship, while advancing gender inclusion.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Elumelu tasked his wife to deliver value to stakeholders.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr Awele Elumelu as the board chair of Transcorp Hotels. Her distinguished track record perfectly aligns with our ambition to redefine hospitality through innovation, wellness integration, and responsible business practices. Her strategic insight will be invaluable, as we continue to elevate guest experiences and deliver sustainable value to all stakeholders,” he said.

Transcorp Hotels Plc is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc. The firm manages prominent properties including the Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the recently launched 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre. It is part of Transcorp Group’s diversified investments across power, hospitality, and energy sectors in Africa.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Board of Directors of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has appointed Mr Adeleye Falade as its new chief executive. He is to assume office in April 2026.

Mr Falade joins NLNG from Brunei LNG, where he has been serving in a similar position.

His appointment follows the exit of Mr Philip Mshelbila after more than four years of leadership to assume the position of Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Doha, Qatar. He will officially leave the company on December 31, 2025.

Last weekend, a send-off ceremony was held in Abuja at the weekend to mark the end of the tenure of Mr Mshelbila and was graced by NLNG Directors, executives from shareholder companies, dignitaries from the public sector and energy industry in Nigeria, members of NLNG management, and representatives of various staff groups.

Speaking about the outgoing NLNG helmsman, Mr Olakunle Osobu, NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, in his remarks described Mr Mshelbila as a man of distinction, an accomplished professional whose expertise spans medicine, environmental health, strategic business leadership, and global gas diplomacy.

He revealed that the outgoing MD stepped in during a period of unprecedented challenges, from the aftermath of COVID-19 and severe flooding that disrupted gas pipelines to vandalism and force majeure declarations by suppliers.

Mr Osobu stated that the global energy turbulence following the Russia–Ukraine war added further strain, but noted that despite these hurdles, NLNG pursued its sustainability goals with courage and innovation.

“Understanding that NLNG needed multiple supply sources, especially with current challenges, Mshelbila championed a bold and strategic pivot to expand NLNG’s feed-gas base beyond the shareholder joint-venture supply chain.

It was also revealed that under his leadership, NLNG negotiated and signed long-term Gas Supply Agreements (GSAs) with six third-party gas suppliers in August 2025. These GSAs commit to delivering an estimated 1,290 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of feed-gas to NLNG, a historic step for the Company, marking a seismic shift,”.

Mr Osobu stated that Mr Mshelbila had championed innovation with a forward-looking approach, inspiring NLNG’s workforce to strengthen their commitment to emissions control and environmental stewardship, adding that Mr Mshelbila redefined NLNG’s business model through its transformation programme, building foundations for future sustainability and value creation.

In her remarks, Mrs Sophia Horsfall, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, said, “Thank you for your selflessness, for the steadiness of your leadership, for the clarity of your vision, and for the values that guided your every step. You led with humility, yet you inspired greatness. You carried the weight of challenges with calm resolve. You charted a path toward sustainability long before it became fashionable.”

On his part, Mr Mshelbila expressed profound gratitude to NLNG’s shareholders, Board of Directors, staff, and industry partners for their support throughout his tenure.

He praised the Company’s enduring culture of innovation and excellence and affirmed that he would carry these values into his new role at GECF, where he will promote natural gas as a sustainable and reliable energy source.

As Secretary-General of GECF, Mr Mshelbila will strengthen dialogue between gas-producing and gas-consuming nations, advancing stability in the international gas market.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Dangote Group has appointed renowned economist and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Director, Mr Mahmud Hassan, as its Chief Economist, strengthening its economic advisory capacity at a time of heightened global and domestic market volatility.

In his new role, Mr Hassan, a PhD holder, will serve as the organisation’s top adviser on economic strategy, market trends, and policy implications, reporting directly to the President of Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, according to a statement by the company.

He brings more than 30 years of experience in economic policy formulation, financial sector regulation, and central banking.

During his long career at the CBN, he held several senior positions, including Director of the Trade and Exchange Department and Director of the Monetary Policy Department.

He also served as Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee and as Special Assistant on Economic Policy and Research to the CBN Governor.

Beyond Nigeria, Mr Hassan has played a key role in advancing regional economic integration, working as a lead consultant to the African Union Commission on trade integration initiatives and the establishment of the African Monetary Fund.

Academically, he holds a PhD in Economics and an MSc in Energy Economics and Policy from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, as well as a BSc in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School and holds professional certifications as a Bank Examiner and AML CFT Analyst.

Mr Hassan is a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Statistical Association, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and the Compliance Institute of Nigeria.

He is also a prolific researcher with extensive publications in macroeconomics, monetary policy, energy economics, and financial engineering.

In addition to his corporate role, he continues to serve as a visiting professor at several Nigerian universities and is currently the President of the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics.

According to the statement, his appointment underscores Dangote Industries Limited’s focus on deep economic insight and policy intelligence as it navigates evolving market dynamics across Nigeria, Africa, and the global economy.