CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 2, 2026/APO Group/ –As African governments seek greater state participation, higher local content and a larger share of resource revenues, the terms governing oil and gas investments are changing across the continent. Since 2014, 31 African countries have reformed their mining and petroleum codes, creating new commercial and regulatory considerations for international investors. The resulting environment is placing greater emphasis on how upstream agreements anticipate regulatory change, protect investments and resolve disputes when commercial assumptions shift.
 




 

African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, will bring this issue into focus through a dedicated session at the Upstream E&P Forum: Resource Nationalism, ESG and Investor Protection: The New Frontier of Oil and Gas Arbitration in Africa. Sponsored by Africa-focused legal and advisory firm CLG, the panel will bring together operators, investors, legal practitioners and government representatives to examine how commercial agreements can be structured to manage disputes before they escalate.

Nigeria provides a clear example of how the legal architecture around upstream investment is evolving. The Petroleum Industry Act, enacted in 2021, overhauled the country’s petroleum fiscal and regulatory framework, changing the terms governing production-sharing contracts, joint ventures and other upstream arrangements. Nigeria has also strengthened its dispute-resolution framework through the Arbitration and Mediation Act of 2023, while the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has promoted an Alternative Dispute Resolution Center designed to provide a sector-specific mechanism for resolving upstream disputes.

Senegal illustrates another dimension of the challenge. Following first oil at the Sangomar field in 2024 and a rapid production ramp-up, the government established a commission to review existing oil and gas contracts with operators including Woodside and bp. While governments retain the sovereign right to review their resource agreements, such processes can alter the commercial assumptions underpinning investments and raise questions around stabilization provisions, production-sharing terms and other contractual protections.

Across parts of West Africa, political transitions, security disruptions and changes to mining and petroleum legislation are adding further uncertainty for investors. At the same time, geopolitical shocks and shifting global energy policies are testing agreements that were negotiated under very different market conditions. For companies committing billions of dollars to long-life upstream projects, the ability to anticipate and manage those changes has become an increasingly important component of investment decisions.

Arbitration remains a central tool. A review by Nigerian law firm OAL found that by 2025, most cross-border oil, gas and power agreements in Africa expressly identified arbitration as the preferred dispute-resolution mechanism. At AEW 2026, the Upstream E&P Forum panel will examine why arbitration continues to dominate cross-border energy contracts and how bilateral investment treaties, domestic legislation, ESG obligations and changing regulatory requirements interact when disputes arise.

“You cannot do a deal in Africa today without thinking seriously about how you would resolve a dispute if the terms change. We’re increasingly seeing arbitration planning as part of the commercial conversation from the start, and rightly so,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “That commercial focus is central to AEW 2026, which brings governments, investors, operators and legal experts together to address the practical conditions required to unlock the continent’s next wave of energy investment.

The Resource Nationalism, ESG and Investor Protection session will examine the intersection of contractual protections, regulatory change, political risk and the technical complexities of energy projects, giving investors and governments a practical forum to consider how stronger dispute-resolution frameworks can support Africa’s next generation of oil and gas investment.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 2, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s power, energy and water sectors need more than good ideas. They need visibility, credibility, structured engagement and the right capital connections.

The Project & Investment Network (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) (P&IN), created by VUKA Group, supports this by creating a curated environment where project owners can present opportunities and investors can identify high-potential developments aligned with their mandates. With African Infrastructure Elites (https://apo-opa.co/4h4j2mu) as Host Media Partner, these opportunities gain additional reach through one of Africa’s trusted power, energy, water and utility media platforms.

This partnership helps bridge a persistent gap in the market: strong projects need access to capital and investors need credible, well-positioned opportunities.

The Project & Investment Network is a dedicated meeting ground for project developers, financiers, investors, utilities, municipalities, commercial and industrial energy users and strategic partners active in Africa’s power, energy and water sectors.

Through this collaboration, African Infrastructure Elites will support The Project & Investment Network by amplifying the projects, people and investment conversations shaping Africa’s infrastructure future.

Upcoming opportunities to participate

P&IN will create opportunities for project owners and investors to engage across VUKA Group’s upcoming power, energy and water events:

Project & Investment Network Open: 23 October 2026, Serengeti Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa: Register your interest (https://apo-opa.co/4ygw8D6) in participating in the Open.

C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg: 28 – 29 October 2026, The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa: A targeted platform for South Africa’s commercial and industrial sector, co-located with a C&I-focused Water Security Africa programme and the EIUG Conference. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4qTkLyv).

Enlit Africa: 11 – 13 May 2027, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa: Africa’s leading power, energy and water conference and exhibition, hosted annually at the CTICC in Cape Town and attended by thousands of sector stakeholders from across the continent and beyond. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4yal5v6).

Water Security Africa: 11 – 13 May 2027, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa: Co-located with Enlit Africa, this platform explores the water-energy-food nexus and the solutions needed to strengthen water resilience across Africa. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4zOtF4e).

Submit your project

Do you have a power, energy, water or infrastructure project seeking visibility, finance or strategic partners? Submit your project (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) to the Project & Investment Network.

Apply as an investor

 

Are you looking for credible project opportunities across Africa’s power, energy and water sectors? Apply to participate as an investor (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) in the Project & Investment Network.

For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Marcel du Toit: marel.dutoit@wearevuka.com

Why Africa Infrastructure Elites matters

The African Infrastructure Elites (https://apo-opa.co/4h4j2mu) is an annual initiative by ESI Africa that recognises the projects, leaders and innovations shaping Africa’s power, energy, water and transport markets. The platform profiles the people and projects driving measurable impact across the continent, from generation, transmission and distribution to water, storage, clean energy, infrastructure, mobility and sector-coupling solutions.

For project owners, being associated with Elites creates long-term visibility among decision-makers, policy influencers, technical specialists and investment stakeholders. For investors, it provides a trusted lens into the projects, companies and leaders advancing Africa’s energy, water and transport priorities.

Nominations for the 11th African Infrastructure Elites: Projects and People Magazine are open (https://apo-opa.co/3UQS6xY) until the 2nd of October 2026.

The theme for the 2026/27 edition, Access and Affordability Empowers Security for All, speaks directly to one of Africa’s most pressing development imperatives. Reliable and affordable access to electricity, clean water, sanitation and sustainable transport remains fundamental to economic growth, social wellbeing and long-term resilience.