Sopuruchi Onwuka
Africa’s leading natural gas exporting company, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, has declared adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations as critical lever in delivering on the mandate of efficient and sustainable energysupply.
Deputy Managing Director, Olakunle Osobu, who participated in a panel debate at the ongoing 2025 Gas Technology (Gastech) conference in Milan, Italy, stated that the NLNG has now integrated smart technologies to keep the business future-ready while reinforcing its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) aspirations.
In driving his arguments during a panel session on “Operational Excellence through the Application of Artificial Intelligence Technologies,” Osobu described AI as the new driver of efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the energy sector.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of tomorrow; it is today’s driver of efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the energy sector. At NLNG, we’re embedding AI across our value chain to ensure our business is future-ready. Importantly, our ‘Goal Zero’ safety policy and operational efficiency targets are being significantly enhanced by AI. This has led to the improvement of our safety and business performance across the company’s entire value chain,” Osobu stated.
According to him, AI has become indispensable for managing complex processes, particularly in a company that promotes a culture of continuous improvement.
Osobu stated that, virtual reality tools and AI agents are being used to accelerate staff onboarding and enhance knowledge retention, while smart cameras and satellite technologies provide advanced visual analytics for more precise monitoring of operations and safety compliance.
He added that process automation and predictive maintenance tools are enabling production and enhancing asset reliability, while AI-driven optimization is strengthening emissions monitoring to support NLNG’s energy transition commitments. He stressed that integrating AI into existing platforms is the critical first step for any organization, as it unlocks predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance strategies to keep plants running at peak performance.
Osobu noted that NLNG takes a value-first approach, upskilling staff through its Centre of Excellence to align AI with business needs for real value delivery.
As part of its strategic agenda, NLNG continues to champion innovation and technology adoption in alignment with global efforts to ensure cleaner, more secure, and sustainable energy solutions.
The company stated that its participation at Gastech 2025 showcases leadership stance in shaping conversations on the future of energy and its commitment to harnessing technology in delivering on its vision of being “a globally competitive energy company, improving lives sustainably.”