The Sub Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) has announced that the key focus of the 10th anniversary programme will be Nigeria’s ongoing oil licensing round.

SAIPEC has also announced the first confirmed speakers for the anniversary programme, bringing together senior policymakers, regulators and National Oil Company (NOC) executives from across the region.

The organisers made the announcement in a press statement on Monday, with many of the confirmed speakers having actively participated in SAIPEC since its inception, contributing to its evolution from a regional conference into Africa’s leading oil, gas and energy platform.

The first series of confirmed speakers includes: Dr Emeafa Hardcastle, Acting CEO, Petroleum Commission Ghana (Ghana); Engr. Felix Ogbe Omatsola, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) (Nigeria); Hon. Dr Eng. Caleb Makwiranzou, Deputy Minister for Mines and Mining Development/Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) (Zimbabwe); Foday Mansaray, Director General, Petroleum Directorate (Sierra Leone); Dr Ernest Rubondo, Executive Director, Petroleum Authority of Uganda (Uganda); Dr Amadou Hassane, Former General Director of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum (Niger Republic) and Baboucarr Njie, Managing Director, Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) (The Gambia).

Other listed speakers are Proscovia Nabbanja, Chief Executive Officer, Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) (Uganda); Fabian M. Lai, President & CEO, National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) (Liberia); Engr. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, CCE, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), (Nigeria); Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, CEO, Geoplex Limited, Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (Nigeria); Kwaku Boateng, Director, Economics and Local Content, Petroleum Commission Ghana (Ghana) and Jean Michel Akossi, Director of Local Content, Directorate of Local Content, Côte d’Ivoire (Côte d’Ivoire).

Collectively, these leaders represent institutions and markets that have consistently engaged with SAIPEC over the past decade, reinforcing the event’s role as a trusted forum for sustained policy dialogue, regional cooperation and investment promotion.

According to the organisers, SAIPEC 2026 will take place next month, from 10–12 February 2026 at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, marking ten years since the event’s launch.

Hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) in strategic partnership with NCDMB, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), NUPRC and AOS Orwell, the anniversary edition will convene regulators, NOCs, operators, investors and service providers from across Africa and beyond.

“A key focus of the 10th anniversary programme will be Nigeria’s ongoing oil licensing round, with dedicated sessions providing the latest regulatory updates, acreage opportunities and investment insights,” the statement read.

“These discussions will be complemented by country spotlight sessions highlighting upstream, gas, and infrastructure opportunities across major African energy markets.

“Beyond the conference agenda, networking remains central to SAIPEC, with curated business meetings, executive receptions and industry networking events designed to facilitate partnerships and deal-making.

“The international exhibition, one of the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, will feature over 150 exhibitors, showcasing technologies, services and solutions across exploration, production, engineering, digitalisation and energy transition.”

According to the organisers, the confirmation of further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, with the full programme for SAIPEC 2026 available at www.saipec-event.com.