Oredola Adeola

Participants at the just concluded Africa Gas Innovation Summit (AGIS) 2024 held in Abuja, have called for collaboration among government, industry, academia, entrepreneurs, and venture financial institutions to foster the innovation needed for the development of Africa’s gas resources to guarantee a sustainable future.

This was part of the major highlight of the maiden edition of the AGIS 2024 summit themed “Igniting the Future: Driving Sustainability in Africa’s Energy Landscape through Gas Technology and Innovation,”  which also promoted the Penta Helix model.

Advisors Reports gathered that the summit emphasized the urgent need for innovation in Africa’s energy landscape.

Envisioned as Africa’s premier annual gas event, the organisers have assured that AGIS would be to be rotated across African states in the future, to serve as a hub for the exchange of ideas on harnessing Africa’s gas resources to drive economic growth and prosperity.

They noted that the inaugural edition of AGIS will herald a new era of innovation and collaboration aimed at leveraging Africa’s abundant gas resources for sustainable development.

According to Salahuddeen Tahir Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Council, new players like Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, and Uganda joining traditional leaders such as Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Gabon, and Angola, Africa’s vast gas resources present a path to a sustainable future.

He said, “Our easiest path to a sustainable future lies in our gas resources and the shortest path to developing these gas resources is through collaboration and innovation.”

Tahir further emphasised that despite the potential, several challenges persist.

He said, “Africa’s energy sector is at a critical juncture, facing challenges such as financing gaps, technological and skills deficiencies, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, global pressure for cleaner energy, and security concerns.”

“Collaborative initiatives, such as the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline and the Tanzania-Uganda Gas Pipeline, highlight the importance of cooperation. Moreover, the African Energy Bank (AEB) established by Afreximbank and the Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) underscores the collective efforts required to support African gas producers,” Tahir said.

Mallam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, in his keynote address, represented by Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, NNPC Ltd, emphasized Nigeria’s substantial natural gas resources and their potential to address energy deficiencies and drive economic growth.

Kyari reiterated NNPC’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions through various gas infrastructure projects, floating LNG projects, and initiatives to commercialize gas.

“Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, approximately 209 TCF, can address Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy deficiency by providing electricity, clean cooking fuel, autogas, and industrial feedstock, thereby generating wealth and improving well-being”, Kyari said.

Ugo Amadi, Chairman of Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC),  in his remark, emphasized the summit’s importance in exploring opportunities within Nigeria’s gas sector and fostering technological development and innovation across Africa.

He therefore called for supportive policies, strengthened capacities, and collaboration among key sectors to drive sustainable energy development.