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IGNITE Partners Discuss Applied Research Findings on Gender and Nutrition Integration in Agriculture

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IGNITE

Practical findings collected over three years were discussed by representatives of national, regional, and continental African institutions and organizations

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 25, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The IGNITE project (Impacting Gender & Nutrition through Innovative Technical Exchange in Agriculture) organized a Research Summit in Nairobi, January 23 through 25, to share findings and evidence collected around six broad programmatic learning questions concerning ways of effectively and efficiently increasing women’s empowerment in agriculture as well as equitable consumption of nutritious diets. Over 70 participants attended the Summit, representing more than 20 IGNITE partners from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. The IGNITE Research Summit has brought together practitioners from the private sector, NGOs, governmental agencies, policy making agencies, researchers and academia. 

With escalating food and nutrition insecurity in the world, Africa has not been spared. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 (https://bit.ly/3WDYfZw), 828 million people suffered from hunger in 2021, including 278 million people in Africa. There are many causes behind food and nutrition [in]security, and one that is often overlooked is the gender dimension.

With a conviction that gender inclusion has an influence on food and nutrition security in Africa, the IGNITE project was launched in 2018. IGNITE is a five-year investment, implemented by Tanager (www.Tanagerintl.org), in partnership with Laterite (https://bit.ly/3XDbXNB), and 60 Decibels (www.60Decibels.com) to strengthen African institutions’ ability to integrate nutrition and mainstream gender into their way of doing business and their agriculture interventions.

IGNITE is bringing a modern gender and nutrition lens to agriculture with 18 partner organizations who are agricultural institutions, service providers, regulators and universities with a large continental reach and influence in 17 African countries,” said Maureen Munjua, IGNITE Team Leader and Tanager Country Representative in Kenya.

At the IGNITE Research Summit, the results of 16 decision-focused research studies, conducted jointly with six partner institutions, were shared, and discussed. According to these institutions, on one hand, tailored technical assistance and training, gender and nutrition coaching, strategy development and implementation support, have been key to building their staff and institutional capacities. On the other hand, evidence stemming from research and concrete recommendations are helping them improve their business activities.

Across the board, more female extension workers and women Village Based Agents are being engaged in our programs

Digital Green (www.DigitalGreen.org) is invested in an ambitious initiative called DAAS (Digital Agricultural Advisory Services) which aims to reach 40 percent of women as part of our activities. We worked with IGNITE to conduct a gender assessment and other research activities that resulted in our new gender policy. Today, gender is the centre of our focus, and we are seeing the results. For example, an increased effectiveness of Community Based Agents (CBAs), better results on dairy farmers’ uptake of our digital tools, and more effective demo farmer households’ experience,” shared Daniel Tesfu, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at Digital Green in Ethiopia.

Rufaro Madakadze, Senior Program Officer at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (www.AGRA.org), shared that, “…as an outcome of IGNITE research findings, we are rethinking, redesigning, and informing our institutional approach to agricultural extension. Across the board, more female extension workers and women Village Based Agents are being engaged in our programs.”

While making attribution of changes experienced over the past three years, many of the IGNITE partners also reported that engagement with IGNITE has brought a whole new meaning and perspective to gender and nutrition, which is influencing their activities. “Before IGNITE, the focus of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) (www.AATF-africa.org) was on productivity and income. Today, our approach towards nutrition and gender-sensitive agriculture will result in benefits to farm mechanization for cassava farmers in Nigeria,” shared Dr. Cecilia Limera, Programme Officer and Nutrition Lead at AATF.

The extensive information shared during the three days further validated the existing body of evidence that increasing women’s incomes and enabling them to have more decision-making over that income benefits the whole family through improved health, nutrition, and education. However, having specific case studies, and rigorous data supporting this objective was the driving force behind IGNITE’s design of its ambitious learning agenda.

We are extremely proud of being part of building a solid case for market actors that there is positive return on investment derived from integrating and mainstreaming gender and nutrition considerations within their business models. We now have the technical know-how, the tools, and the experience in providing technical assistance on gender and nutrition integration and mainstreaming in agriculture. We are open to collaborate with institutions who have a need in those areas, and we will keep on improving our technical assistance delivery with existing partners,” concluded Maureen Munjua.

Access IGNITE research outputs and resources here: https://bit.ly/3EQPG8D

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Tanager.

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Independent Operators Lead Push to Extend Lifespan of Africa’s Mature Fields

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Independent operators

Chief executives from Perenco, Trident Energy, Tullow Oil and Afentra shared strategies to extend the lifespan of Africa’s ageing oil and gas assets during African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 9, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Independent operators outlined new efforts to maximize production in Africa’s mature oil markets – including Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Angola – during the Upstream E&P Forum at African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024.

Africa’s mature oil markets are seeing a number of independent firms drive production gains, prioritizing incremental exploration and innovative technologies to breathe new life into existing assets.

In Gabon, Perenco launched appraisal drilling near its existing Hylia South West discovery to identify additional reservoirs and estimate oil volumes. Meanwhile, Trident Energy launched a three-well infill drilling campaign on Block G – home to the mature Ceiba and Okume fields – offshore Equatorial Guinea earlier this year.

“We are building our strategy around innovation and fit for purpose technology. You need to find economic ways to develop those fields. Technology is key in enabling us to extend the life of the field,” said Armel Simondin, CEO of Perenco SA.

“Operating mature fields is about mindset – having a very granular approach, taking care of the details, and revisiting all of the information acquired on the asset. Our creativity in taking over mature fields and reducing operating costs is where we can make a difference. IOCs sell assets because they don’t fit in the portfolio anymore – companies like us are going to fight for the barrel and for the dollar,” said Jean-Michel Jacoulot, CEO of Trident Energy.

Capacity constraints, ageing infrastructure and increased operational downtime continue to challenge operators of mature fields. According to Rahul Dhir, CEO of Tullow Oil, these issues can be addressed through cost-control mechanisms and investment in infrastructure and facility upgrades, which have seen high exploration success rates in its mature markets.

Operating mature fields is about mindset – having a very granular approach, taking care of the details, and revisiting all of the information acquired on the asset

“At our flagship Jubilee Field [in Ghana], we began sourcing the OEM contract internally, which has given us more control and lower costs. It’s a very holistic approach,” said Dhir, adding, “In Gabon, we have drilled approximately one exploration well per year over the last four years, with a success rate of about 80%. The existing infrastructure is there.”

Panelists emphasized the role of regulatory stability in effectively managing mature oil reservoirs, along with contractual frameworks that account for the unique, capital-intensive nature of mature fields.

“This stage of asset needs as much of a development plan as the original development concept. To make those five-year investment plans, you need an underlying licensing and regulatory environment. This gives us the runway to be confident to invest in the asset. Underlying stability of the environment is critical,” said Paul McDade, CEO of Afentra. 

“Mature fields are not planned for in the early stage of contracts – many contracts are designed for greenfield investment. There is still progress to be made on improving these contracts. Mature fields require major investment because you need to compensate for the loss of energy in the reservoir,” said Simondin.

Afentra is focusing on optimizing, redeveloping and extending the lifespan of Africa’s legacy assets. In Angola, the company recently gained approval for the acquisition of Block 23, focusing on high-quality, long-life shallow water production assets with significant upside.

“In Angola, the phase of mature fields is quite early. With the asset we have, we have already discovered resources sitting near infrastructure that just haven’t been developed. We will go after that, before we even have to start spending exploration dollars,” said McDade.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Republic of Congo’s Upcoming Gas Policies to Create Investment Security, Says African Energy Week (AEW) 2024 Country Spotlight

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African Energy Week

In addition to preparing a new Gas Code, the country is set to launch a Gas Master Plan, offering a comprehensive strategy for the country’s gas sector

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 9, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The Republic of Congo (ROC) is preparing a new Gas Code to incentivize investment across the natural gas value chain. Concurrently, the country is preparing to launch its Gas Master Plan (GMP), serving as a roadmap for investing in the ROC’s gas sector. These policies mark a pivotal step towards rolling out the requisite infrastructure to stimulate industrialization and economic growth.

Speaking at the Invest in Congo Energies country spotlight at African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024, Maixent Raoul Ominga, Managing Director of the ROC’s national oil company Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), said that “the GMP creates a framework for all those interested in investing in gas in ROC.”

In addition to the GMP, Ominga outlined how the country’s upcoming Gas Code serves as a “mechanism to ensure that the energy industry has become attractive. The code allows partners to invest and generate returns from exploration.”

As the NOC, the SNPC has played a central role in driving oil and gas projects forward. The company strives to boost infrastructure development with the aim of driving long-term and sustainable economic growth.

According to Abdullahi Bashir, Haske, Group Managing Director, AA&R Investment, “We have not even scratched the surface in terms of the ROC’s potential. The government has done a great job to ensure there is a structured environment for companies to do business. The SNPC and regulator work hand-in-hand to ensure everything is done in a timely and efficient manner. There is an aggressive push to make sure hydrocarbons are developed quickly.”

The government has done a great job to ensure there is a structured environment for companies to do business

With its significant resource base, forward-looking approach to policy implementation and commitment to low-carbon oil and gas, the ROC has emerged as a highly-attractive investment market. The country offers a wealth of opportunity for new players, and companies are already joining the market. Trident Energy, for example, entered the ROC in 2024 with the acquisition of Chevron’s ROC assets.

“Trident Energy signed PSAs to enter the ROC earlier this year and we are about to close these. We are happy to invest in the ROC. We are very confident that we can develop our business model in ROC. Our model is to take over mid-life assets and invest specific technologies to redevelop these assets and increase production,” said Eric Descourtieux, CFO, Trident Energy.

Additionally, the country’s regulatory landscape and industry outlook is incentivizing new players to join the market. Gerd Nji, CEO, Kariya Energy, said that “We have looked at the ROC extensively over the last two years, and there are so many things that attract us to invest in the market. Oil and gas infrastructure is key as this encourages new investments. The government also has a mandate to increase production to potentially 500,000 BPD. This is a good incentive.”

Going forward, the country aims to attract fresh investment across the growing oil and gas value chain. With the GMP and Gas Code, the ROC’s fiscal and regulatory environment has become increasingly more transparent, while making it simpler for companies to invest.

Yves Ollivier, Managing Director, CLG Congo, says “The Gas Code is in preparation, providing the legal and tax provisions for the industry. This is more beneficial [than previous regulation] and outlines permits, legal and tax provisions.”

The country’s gas policies also allow existing operators and service providers to strengthen their footprint across the market. Both SLB and Halliburton, for example, already have a strong presence in the market. Antoine Berel, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Halliburton, explains that “we collaborate to maximize asset value across operations. Driving productivity is at the core of our operations. One of the key enablers we have is the digitalization of our workflow and automation of our processes.”

Meanwhile, Yannick Mouamba, Country Director, Congo and Gabon, SLB, shared that “When it comes to ROC, we have a strong track record, where we help our customer develop fields. In the ROC there is fiscal attractiveness. There are a lot of new operators coming to the game, offering the potential for the country to increase production.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Nigeria’s Renaissance Consortium Shares Future Growth Plans at African Energy Week (AEW) 2024

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Renaissance Consortium

Nigerian indigenous firms discussed competitive advantages in shallow water operations and plans to expand into gas monetization during a special session on Nigeria’s new era of oil and gas growth

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 9, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Companies from Nigeria’s Renaissance Consortium discussed their evolving business portfolios and investment strategies at the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies conference on Wednesday. 

Discussions explored the shifting dynamics in the Nigerian upstream sector, focusing on the trend of IOCs divesting shallow water and onshore operations in favor of deepwater acreage. The consortium includes ND Western, Aradel Holdings, the Petrolin Group, First E&P Development Company and Waltersmith Petroman Oil Ltd. 

“The opportunity to step into IOC shoes in shallow water and onshore is not easy. However, the beauty of divestment is, because it is onshore, the basic infrastructure is there. As indigenous players, it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our local know-how and play to our strengths in terms of terrain,” said Olarewaju Daramola Aradel, General Manager – Commercial, Aradel.

The session emphasized the current exploration and production capacity of indigenous firms, with Nigerian independents carving out strong competitive advantages in shallow water operations and developing strategic capabilities that can be applied across the value chain. First E&P, for instance, represents the first indigenous company to develop a greenfield asset in Nigerian shallow water.

We are deeply rooted in the science of the business

“We are deeply rooted in the science of the business. We look for technologies and development concepts that drive a UDC of $5 per barrel and a UTC of $15 per barrel. We are laser-focused on execution. This has created a competitive advantage in the shallow water offshore space,” said George Toriola, Chief Strategy & Operation Officer, First E&P.

Nigerian firms are driving significant increases in gas production and discussed plans to serve local and regional markets, with the potential to expand into midstream and downstream sectors in the future.

“We are the second-largest producer and supplier of gas to the domestic market in Nigeria, as well as regional sales to West Africa. We are currently producing 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and have a work program where we intend to double that production,” said Lanre Kalejaiye, CEO of ND Western.

“We have grown from a strictly upstream business to an integrated company with viable business lines across the oil and gas value chain… We are investing in targeted, viable projects that translate our oil and gas resource base into midstream gas processing and gas exports,” said Oladapo Filani, CEO of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Ltd.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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