Opec General Secretary Mohammed Barkindo and three oil ministers from three African countries have confirmed they will attend African Energy Chamber’s conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in November.

The confirmations come against a backdrop of criticism of a similar event set for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which some oil producing countries in Africa have said they will boycott. African oil industry leaders argue that matters related to African resources cannot be discussed outside the continent.

The landmark event in South Africa has reportedly attracted an unprecedented interest and support from across the continent, just a week after it was announced.

Among the first to confirm was Opec General Secretary Mohammed Barkindo, who said he was looking forward to Africa Energy Chamber’s meeting in Cape Town. AEW has received massive support from industry players and the general public. Angolan, Congolese and Equatorial Guinean oil ministers have also confirmed attendance, among other high-level figures.

The African Energy Week (AEW) set for November 9-12, 2021 in Cape Town, South Africa, is a demonstration of the high-level support the event has already attracted from across the industry.

In further demonstration of support Diamantino Azevedo of Angola, Bruno Itoua of the Congo and Gabriel Obiang Lima of Equatorial Guinea – the industry leaders of the second, third and fifth biggest of oil producers in Sub-Saharan Africa – have also confirmed they will attend the African Energy Chamber’s first pan-African event.

Committed to organising a pan-African energy conference in 2021 on African soil, the AEW in Cape Town promises to be a definitive meeting for energy leaders from across the continent to discuss the future of the oil industry, chart way forward and find solutions to Africa’s energy transition and the promotion of further sector cooperation amongst the continent’s energy players.

“It is truly a thing of wonder to see how the industry has taken on this initiative and rallied around an international event focused on African energy, hosted on African soil to discuss African opportunities and our energy future in the face of mounting pressure on our continent and energy investors and producers,” said Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber NJ Ayuk.

AEW comes at a crucial time for the continent’s energy sector as the place of oil production in Africa’s economy is at the centre of heated debates, a post-covid recovery is underway and the narrative of the energy transition continues to dominate news cycles.

The early confirmations by leading industry personalities are expressive of how much weight is being put on this novel initiative, which promises to rearrange the African energy event calendar for good.

“It’s never been this important to discuss the role and future of oil and gas in the African context and we are just so glad to be able to assemble leading figures in the industry at our event to foster cooperation, understanding and positive future solutions for Africa’s energy-rich future,” Ayuk concluded.

The AEW will take place at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront from November 9-12, 2021 and will follow strict Covid-19 protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees.

• A Tell report