The Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke, has been appointed President of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) by the body at its 16th Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

The Chairman of the meeting, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar, Dr Mohammed Saleh Alsada, announced this in a communiqué read at the end of the meeting.

Alsada, who said the meeting also appointed Minister of Oil and Gas, the State of Libya as Alternate President, added that the 17th GECF would be held in Nigeria in 2015.

Madueke was the alternate president of the forum before her appointment in the substantive office.

The meeting was attended by ministers from Algeria, Iran, Libya, Qatar, Russia and United Arab Emirate, and Heads of Delegation from Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

Others in attendance include Netherlands, Norway and Oman as Observers.

The Nigerian delegation was led by the country’s Ambassador to Qatar, Mr Shuaibu Ahmed, and NNPC’s Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Dr David Ige, representing Alison-Madueke at the forum.

The minister, who was a few days back, appointed President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, was not in attendance because she was involved in resolving the oil workers union crisis in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalled that PENGASSAN and NUPENG on Monday embarked on three-day warning strike over a long list of demands which included the adoption of the delayed Petroleum Industry Bill.

The bill is aimed at overhauling the sector and maintenance work on oil refineries.

Alsada said the thrust of the meeting was on how to strengthen the gas market in the face of challenges of fall in the oil price.

He said the meeting discussed the global gas market report presented by the Secretary-General, Dr Hossein Adeli, which covered the latest developments in the energy market in general and in gas market in particular.

The meeting, according to him, also considered other development which included but not limited to short term trend of supply and demand for natural gas worldwide and specific regions and countries.

Other issues discussed included the evolution of LNG trade across the regions, development of the gas prices as well as accessing the complexity and dynamics of the global natural gas market in the short, medium and long term.

Alsada said the meeting reiterated the need to monitor the challenges of the gas industry, stressing that the secretariat would continue the evaluation of development occurring in the energy market, with a focus on the supply and demand.

According to him, the ministers also note that global demand for gas is increasing while it is decreasing in Europe due to weak economy and policy measures.

He said, however, the LNG trade was increasing and taking a greater share of global gas trade.

Alsada said the ministers decided to start the preparations for the third Gas Summit in Tehran in 2015.

The chairman said the meeting also approved Peru as the new observer member of GECF.

The Nigerian ambassador, who responded on behalf of the minister, said Nigeria appreciated the honour done it by the appointment.

“This shows the tremendous honour and respect that he global oil and gas industry has in Nigeria,” she said.