Stakeholders at the International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit in Angola have expressed dissatisfaction over the utilisation of Africa’s natural resources, especially gas flaring which has led to a delay in the continent’s industrial development.

They said that despite substantial gas reserves, Africa is still unable to explore gas to achieve adequate electricity generation, adding that most African countries rich in oil and gas, like Nigeria and Angola, are still unable to eradicate poverty because citizens are not benefitting maximally from the proceeds of the oil revenue.

According to the statement signed by Justice Suleman Galadima and Noah Ajare, a lawyer, the Summit with the theme, ‘Balancing the need for smooth Energy Transition in Africa and the role of Artificial Intelligence in the Energy Sector’, said there is an urgent need for all personnel responsible for preventing, controlling, and cleaning up oil spills in Africa to be effective.

“They should be trained and to follow the Standard Operating Procedure. Training should be conducted yearly. All spills should be documented and maintained. This should involve the host communities, the companies, and the government,” the statement reads.

The Summit observed that Africa’s economic potential has been constrained by many structural issues, including inadequate infrastructure, tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, fundamental obstacles to investment, uncertain government policies, and reluctance of previous governments to take the necessary bold steps required to achieve sustained economic growth.

The Summit however commended Green Energy International Limited for being the first Nigerian Company to establish a modular LPG extraction plant, thereby eliminating associated gas flares in Nigerian stranded oil fields.