Stakeholders in Africa’s oil and gas sector have been urged to deepen collaboration, strengthen local content implementation, and mobilise investment to secure the continent’s energy future, as the 10th edition of the Sub-Saharan African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC 2026) opened in Lagos.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, FNSE, described SAIPEC’s 10th anniversary as a historic milestone, noting that the conference has evolved into Africa’s premier energy platform over the past decade.
Ogunsanya said SAIPEC was conceived ten years ago not merely as a conference but as a movement designed to amplify African capabilities, promote collaboration, and reposition Africa in the global energy landscape.
According to him, the conference has over the years driven strategic dialogue on energy policy and investment, elevated indigenous participation, connected African service companies to global opportunities, and influenced real projects across the continent.
He stressed that Africa’s energy future must be defined by Africans, pointing out that while global energy transition efforts continue, the continent’s immediate challenge remains access to affordable and reliable energy.
“With over 600 million Africans still lacking access to electricity, energy transition for Africa is not about abandoning hydrocarbons, but responsibly leveraging our resources to drive development while gradually integrating cleaner solutions,” he said.
Ogunsanya highlighted the growth of indigenous capacity across the energy value chain, particularly in Nigeria, where local companies now lead in drilling services, engineering, fabrication, asset acquisition, and technology deployment. He noted that PETAN members have evolved from service providers into strategic partners delivering projects to international standards.
However, he warned that sustaining these gains would require consistent policy implementation, improved access to finance, contract sanctity, timely project execution, and stronger collaboration between operators and service companies.
Calling for increased investment and technology adoption, the PETAN chairman said the next decade must focus on execution, regulatory clarity, transparent processes, competitive fiscal frameworks, and bankable projects. He added that digitalisation, automation, and low-carbon technologies would be critical in enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
“As we mark this 10th edition of SAIPEC, we must move from dialogue to delivery, accelerate gas development, deepen local content utilisation, create jobs, and position Africa as a competitive and reliable energy destination,” Ogunsanya said.
In a keynote address at the conference, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, FNSE, underscored the importance of collaboration as the foundation of Africa’s local content strategy.
Ogbe said lessons from previous SAIPEC engagements show that Africa’s local content journey remains a work in progress, adding that meaningful progress can only be achieved through collective action among governments, the private sector, and host communities.
He explained that Nigeria’s local content strategy has been deliberately structured to deepen indigenous participation, build capacity, and enforce policies that discourage the use of intermediaries for certification.
According to him, NCDMB now prioritises competence and capability as key criteria in technical tender evaluations to ensure the delivery of quality projects.
At the continental level, Ogbe called for the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks through the Brazzaville Accord, noting that aligned policies would reduce bottlenecks, improve project competitiveness, and enhance Africa’s ability to attract global funding.
He also described the establishment of the Africa Energy Bank by the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), in partnership with Afreximbank, as a major milestone for the continent. The bank, he said, is expected to mobilise capital for African energy projects, provide affordable financing, and strengthen indigenous industry players.
Ogbe urged governments, regulators, investors, and industry leaders to support the operational success of the Africa Energy Bank, stressing that Africa’s energy future depends on shared vision and sustained collaboration.
SAIPEC 2026, holding from February 10 to 12 at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, is themed “A Decade of Driving Africa’s Energy Future” and brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and development partners from across Africa and beyond.