Stakeholders in Nigeria and other African countries have insisted that only decisive steps that prioritise collaboration, crude oil refining within the continent, integration of energy infrastructure and harmonisation of regulations and specifications will guarantee energy security for the region.
With a growing population, dwindling funding of energy projects and increasing pressure over climate change, there is fear that the economy of Africa would face serious hurdles as current reserves of natural resources, especially crude oil and gas may remain untapped.
The Managing Director of Platform Petroleum, John Anim, speaking on the issues at the African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa said Africa needs to urgently build a self-sufficient and sustainable energy future.
In a presentation titled ‘Achieving African Energy Security – The Critical Role of Cross-Sector Collaboration’, during the Upstream E&P Forum session of the event, Anim emphasised that securing Africa’s energy supply will require unprecedented cooperation across industries and borders.
While highlighting the scale of Africa’s energy gap, Anim said that nearly half a billion Africans lack reliable electricity, and over a billion still depend on traditional fuels for cooking.
“Energy security is not just an economic necessity; it is a cornerstone for stability, quality of life, and shared prosperity. The time has come for us to transform ambition into action, resources into results, and potential into power,” Anim said.
Anim noted that over the next decade, industrial and household energy demands are expected to skyrocket. With Africa home to nearly seven per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves and nine per cent of its natural gas reserves, he asserted that these resources hold the key to meeting future demand – but only if managed sustainably and strategically.
Despite Africa’s abundance of resources, the continent remains a net importer of refined fuels, a situation Anim attributed to limited refining capacity and outdated infrastructure. While Africa currently exports around 5 million barrels of crude oil daily, it still imports nearly half of that in refined petroleum products. He highlighted this supply-demand imbalance as both a challenge and an opportunity for collaborative investment.
Anim called for a new investment model rooted in partnership, where companies can share the financial burden and operational risks associated with large-scale projects.
“Africa’s path to energy independence depends on collaboration, innovation, and a supportive regulatory environment that inspires investor confidence,” Anim stated while calling on governments and private sector stakeholders to create a transparent, predictable regulatory framework to foster this cross-sectoral collaboration.
The Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Omar Farouk Ibrahim stressed the need to build robust infrastructure within Africa to reduce dependency on foreign markets.
He cautioned that reliance on imported resources leaves African countries vulnerable to international sanctions and supply disruptions. “We have vast resources on our continent, yet we often depend on imports for energy. Partnering with neighbouring countries to build the necessary infrastructure can secure our energy needs,” Ibrahim said, adding that developing intra-continental infrastructure is crucial to achieving genuine energy security.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kosmos Energy, Andy Inglis also insisted that Africa could emulate countries like the United States to become a gas powerhouse and offer lower gas prices.
Expressing optimism about Africa’s gas resources and comparing it to established exporters like Qatar, Australia, and the United States, Inglis noted the continent’s vast natural gas resources and urged African nations to prioritise domestic gas use to fuel economic growth and address the continent’s energy deficit.
“Africa has the resources to become a gas powerhouse. It can emulate the United States by keeping gas prices low and ensuring local availability, which would significantly drive economic growth. This approach could bring affordable power to millions across Africa, addressing the energy needs of the continent’s rapidly growing population,” Inglis said.
Abdul-Hamid proposed a three-tier strategy to promote Africa’s energy independence: policy harmonisation, infrastructure integration and regional currency adoption.
He said Africa’s current fuel specifications differ greatly from one country to another, a disparity that creates barriers to regional trade and limits cooperation.
