Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has urged the global gas industry to adopt a new level of collaboration to strengthen supply security, improve affordability for developing economies, and sustain energy expansion amid rising geopolitical tensions and shifting trade patterns.

Speaking at the World LNG Summit & Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, said coordinated action across the LNG value chain is essential to prevent a deepening global energy divide and keep natural gas central to a balanced, lower-carbon global energy system.

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Mshelbila said LNG contracting must evolve beyond traditional terms of price and volume to include mechanisms that address sovereign and geopolitical risks. He argued that diversification of supply sources, shipping routes, and contract structures is now necessary to protect global energy security from the impact of sanctions, unilateral policies, and geopolitical rivalry.

He warned that global energy expansion could stall if long-standing constraints in LNG supply, pricing, financing and decarbonization remain unaddressed. According to him, structural reform is needed to meet rising global demand without sacrificing affordability or climate goals.

Reflecting on recent market shifts, Mshelbila noted that the industry has moved from a period of dominance by short-term contracts to renewed interest in long-term agreements since the 2022 supply shock. He said both contract types are now in high demand as buyers seek stability in a period of heightened uncertainty.

On the broader future of LNG, he insisted that availability, affordability and decarbonization must be treated as the pillars of the industry’s next phase. While natural gas is widely regarded as a transition fuel, he said its role will extend well beyond the coming decades if supply and affordability challenges are solved.

He pointed to major expansion projects in the United States and Qatar, along with NLNG’s own Train 7 development—which will add eight million tons per year of new capacity—as examples of the supply growth needed. However, he stressed that affordability remains the biggest challenge, noting that high LNG prices have repeatedly forced developing countries to revert to coal and other cheaper but more polluting options.

Now in its 25th year, the World LNG Summit brings together policymakers, producers, buyers, financiers and technology leaders to shape the future direction of the global LNG market.