Chinese scientists are caught between Western bias and pro-government messaging
Shortly after the World Health Organization visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology on February 3, a reporter from an international newspaper asked me whether China’s censorship would present an ‘insurmountable’ barrier to reaching an impartial conclusion on Covid-19’s origins. At the same time, my phone displayed headlines from a nationalist...
Africa can and should, decide how it harnesses its natural resources
Pressure is building to phase out petroleum production in Africa to fight climate change. But harnessed strategically, Africa’s oil and gas industry can power a better future for Africa. Are calls to “keep it in the ground” really in Africa’s best interests? Do a Google search for “Help Africa,” and...
Abortions can happen safely and entirely at home
Last year, over concerns of exposure to Covid-19, a federal judge ended the US Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that mifepristone, a medication necessary to terminate an early pregnancy, must be obtained directly from a hospital or provider’s office. On January 12, the Supreme Court reinstated that requirement, over the...
A competitive oil and gas sector will drive growth in Angola’s economy
Angola’s oil wealth has by no means spared it from criticism about the unfair distribution of wealth, inequality in society and, in some cases, the misappropriation of state funds. These concerns are legitimate and should be looked into by the state. Where people are found to have profited unduly, it...
Sixty-five years of oil history has been good for Angola despite economic challenges
Angolan lawmakers last week approved the revision of current legislation, allowing for oil and gas pre-exploration studies to be carried out in some areas previously designated as natural reserves. The government, however, stressed that this law was by no means a relaxation of the stringent environmental provisions required for oil...
Lessons from Mexico: How Africa can push for better oil, gas project execution
Mexico’s constitutional reform that injected impetus in the oil and gas industry was swift and it benefited from the support of the major political parties in the country following the Pacto por Mexico (Pact for Mexico) agreed right after the election and signed the day after by President Peña Nieto...
Oil: Mexicans donated money, including livestock, to pay off foreign debt
Once one of the world’s biggest producers, Mexico has had a sweet and sour relationship with the upstream industry. In my experience working in the Mexican oil and gas industry, I witnessed the transition of a nationalised industry, once described by Juan Pardinas, former director of the Mexican Institute on...
Decarbonisation: Why Africa is investing more and faster in gas, renewable energy
The power sector accounts for up to 41 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions today, with Africa contributing about 2-3 per cent. In parallel, there are still over 580 million people on the continent who do not have access to reliable energy and the demand for electricity is expected...
Why Mozambique is well-placed to take advantage of minerals market boom
In addition to sizable gas reserves found offshore, Mozambique is home to commercially significant deposits of coal, gold, graphite, ilmenite, iron ore, titanium, copper, tantalum and bauxite, to name a few. While Covid-19 may have disrupted mining operations in terms of site closures and reduced export earnings, demand for precious...
Angola’s oil and gas industry can thrive alongside its rich biodiversity
Angola was last month said to be drafting legislation to permit prospection of oil, gas and mining activities in 14 national conservation areas. These are the Luengue-Luiana National Park, which represents part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area that stretches from Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia to Zimbabwe. The announcement led...
