By MUHAMMED S. BAH
Africa’ energy business forum is a gathering expected to bring more than 50 representatives to discuss and make decisions that will guide the growth of Africa’s energy business.
The event is expected to kick start from the 2nd of April and ends on the 5th of April 2019, to be held in Malabo the capital of Equatorial Guinea.
Participants will be drawn from the petroleum industry, leaders of all African Petroleum Producers’ Organization nations representing the largest and most influential gathering of oil and gas ministers on the African continent.
In 2019 the APPO CAPE VII Congress and Exhibition is organized by Africa Oil & Power, the congress brings together all APPO petroleum ministers and private sector oil and gas leaders.
According to a release from the organizers, many dignitaries will be participating and speaking in the occasion such as: H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea, and H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, who will both speak at APPO CAPE VII. Secretary General of APPO H.E. Mahaman Laouan Gaya and H.E. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, will present on the foundational reforms of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization; H.E. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of OPEC); Dr Sun Xiansheng, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum and H.E. Yury Sentyurin, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) are all speaking at APPO CAPE VII; APPO CAPE VII welcomes participation of 50+ Africa’s petroleum ministries, national oil companies and private companies as exhibitors and sponsors.
Key African ministers including H.E. Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Petroleum, Egypt; H.E. Jeff Radebe, Minister of Energy, South Africa; H.E. Pascal Houangni Ambouroué, Minister of Petroleum & Hydrocarbons of Gabon; and H.E Abdourahmane Cissé, Minister of Petroleum, Energy and the Development of Renewable Energy Côte d’Ivoire are set to address issues of oil and gas infrastructure and regional cooperation at APPO CAPE VII.
The fresh wave of energy investment in Africa — and indeed the focus on growing oil and gas reserves and creating attractive regulatory regimes for new investment — stands in stark contrast to many more developed markets around the world. Countries like the United States, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand are chipping away at global exploration potential, with New Zealand banning new exploration altogether.
Top industry executives, including Guy Maurice, Senior Vice President for Africa, Total; Mounir Bouaziz, Vice President, Africa and South America, Shell; Andrew G. Inglis, CEO, Kosmos Energy; Jean-Michel Jacoulot, CEO, Trident and Tim O’Hanlon, VP, Tullow Oil will speak on Africa’s upstream potential in the current geopolitical environment.
Other panels will tackle regional cooperation, downstream calls for investment, and the potential for financing Africa’s oil and gas sector; and the need for economic diversification.
