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Nigeria’s Olu Verheijen Joins G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum Amid Strategic Reforms

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African Energy Chamber

Hosted by the African Energy Chamber, the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum takes place November 21 at the Southern Sun Sandton in Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 7, 2025/APO Group/ –As the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum fast-approaches, major African oil and gas producers such as Nigeria are gearing up to bring their strategic energy agendas to a global audience. Nigeria’s Special Advisor to President Bola Tinubu on Energy Olu Verheijen has joined the forum – taking place November 21 in Johannesburg – where she is expected to share insight into how the country’s recent slate of reforms is not only attracting foreign investment into the energy value chain but are positioning Nigeria as a benchmark for African nations as they pursue a hydrocarbon-driven energy transition.

 

As one of the continent’s biggest oil and gas producers, Nigeria has been realigning policy with the aim of accelerating exploration, reversing production decline and unlocking greater value from both onshore and offshore hydrocarbon basins. Recent reforms include the introduction of the “Upstream Petroleum Operations” (Cost Efficiency Incentives) Order this year, offering performance-based tax credits to oil and gas companies that achieve cost-reduction targets. The policy aims to lower operational costs, enhance the sector’s attractiveness while attracting investment into upstream projects. It also follows the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, which overhauled sector governance, unbundled the Nigerian National Petroleum Company into a commercially-oriented entity and established a modernized regulatory framework to attract capital and foster sustainable growth.

The impact of these reforms has already been evident. Since the enactment of the PIA, Nigeria has catalyzed over $17 billion in foreign direct investment into its oil and gas industry, reflecting renewed global confidence in the market. The country has also witnessed a surge in spending from active operators, including a $1.5 billion investment by ExxonMobil to revitalize its Usan deepwater oilfield; $5 billion FID reached for Shell’s Bonga North Deepwater Development; and a $550 million investment by TotalEnergies to develop a gas processing facility. These investments follow a series of merger and acquisitions in 2024, with the country attracting $6.7 billion in investments throughout the year, driven by acquisitions by Seplat, Chappal Energies and Oando. These developments are aligned with Nigeria’s broader goal to increase production upwards of two million barrels per day.

By fostering transparency, incentivizing investment and prioritizing both hydrocarbons and renewables, Nigeria is showing that energy security and transition are not competing goal

Nigeria’s energy strategy transcends the oil industry, showcasing a diverse and multi-faceted development approach that considers all forms of energy. Part of its National Energy Transition Plan – which aims to advance low-carbon and sustainable energy projects – the country has set a goal to increase gas production to 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030 and is seeking $60 billion over the next five to seven years to strengthen the gas value chain. With over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, Nigeria’s gas sector has become a key priority for the nation’s development agenda.

In the renewable energy sector, the country has established a ’30-30-30’ plan, targeting 30 GW of grid-connected power capacity by 2030, 30% of which will be derived from renewable energy sources. The plan comes as the country pursues net-zero by 2060 and is expected to contribute towards its goal of achieving universal access to electricity. Various projects have been launched to realize this goal. Oando Clean Energy is developing a 1.2 GW solar farm in Jigawa; the World Bank is backing the $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up project, set to provide power to over 17.5 million Nigerians; while the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria has signed agreements with 10 companies for the generation of 948 MW of electricity. These developments are not only set to strengthen the country’s power capacity but create thousands of jobs and support local business development.

“Nigeria’s energy reforms are setting a powerful precedent for what African-led policy can achieve. By fostering transparency, incentivizing investment and prioritizing both hydrocarbons and renewables, Nigeria is showing that energy security and transition are not competing goals; they are complementary drivers of growth,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

Nigeria’s multi-faceted energy strategy aligns closely with the upcoming forum, which aims to promote an Africa-centric approach to the energy transition. Recognizing the continent’s vital need to power and industrialize its economies, the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum will offer a bridge between global capital and African projects, tackling key topics such as the role of natural gas, the value of integrated energy systems and how African oil producers can drive the continent’s energy transition.

To register for the Forum, click here (https://apo-opa.co/43Tsxht).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Building a Knowledge Hub for China-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

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September 22, 2026

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NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid showcased a range of innovations designed to support energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. These included the DaWatt – Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, highlighting expanding opportunities for cooperation in digitalization, intelligent technologies and green energy.

The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period of time. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos’ mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects.

 




 
 

Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Drawing on the capabilities of the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications.

Talent development is another focus of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled.

Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has also launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.

To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese.

At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.

To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also established an international talent pool covering management, technical and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.

“This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries,” said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN.” The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a “Token Goes Global” model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
 




 

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Deals, Drilling and New Entrants Define Angola Oil & Gas 2026

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September 21, 2026

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Eleven agreements, new exploration commitments and billions of dollars in planned investment highlight Angola’s push to convert upstream reform into projects, production and broader energy-sector growth

LUANDA, Angola, September 18, 2026/APO Group/ –The Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition – organized by Energy Capital & Power (https://EnergyCapitalPower.com) – concluded in Luanda with a clear emphasis on accelerating exploration and production. Across three days, 11 deals were signed, new entrants outlined plans to establish positions in the country and existing operators committed billions of dollars to further exploration and development. The outcomes of the event reaffirm AOG as the official investment platform for the country’s oil and gas sector.

 




  

Eleven Deals Advance Angola’s Investment Pipeline

Eleven agreements were formalized during AOG 2026, spanning new acreage, mature-field investment, financing, gas-based industry and emissions reduction. Angola’s National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) signed agreements with international oil companies covering deepwater Blocks 19, 34 and 35; Blocks 8 and 22; Block 33/24; Blocks 17/25 and 32/21; and further investment in Block 32. Agreements also supported incremental production at Blocks 15 and 31, financing for Etu Energias’ expansion at Block 14 and the social responsibility component of Amufert’s planned $2 billion Soyo fertilizer complex.

Exploration Moves to the Forefront

The ANPG set a target of at least 10 wells annually as Angola seeks to rebuild its exploration pipeline and offset mature-field decline. Shell pledged to pursue exploration aggressively following three agreements signed at AOG. Corcel is also considering a mid-2027 exploration well at KON-16 in the onshore Kwanza Basin following completion of a 326-line-km 2D seismic campaign.

TotalEnergies, Chevron Double Down

Existing operators used AOG to reaffirm long-term investment. TotalEnergies announced plans to invest $10 billion alongside project partners across its Angolan portfolio over the next five years, while further investment at Dalia could unlock up to 400 million barrels under Angola’s incremental-production framework. Chevron plans additional investment in Block 0 following the concession’s extension to 2050.

Pertamina, Panoro Eye Angola Entry

AOG also brought indications of new international participation. Indonesia’s Pertamina announced plans to pursue an upstream operator role in Angola. Panoro Energy, meanwhile, is assessing opportunities across Angola’s onshore, offshore, frontier and brownfield segments. Senior Advisor Tim O’Hanlon said that “it won’t be long before we are in Angola,” highlighting favorable fiscal terms and increasing competition.

It won’t be long before we are in Angola

Pre-Conference Sets Investment Agenda

AOG 2026 began with a dedicated pre-conference program focused on Angola’s next phase of oil and gas development. Workshops and technical discussions examined gas infrastructure, downstream markets, exploration technology and investment opportunities, setting the stage for the commitments announced during the main conference.

Gas and Refining Shift Toward Domestic Value Creation

Angola’s Gas Master Plan emerged as a major industrialization platform, targeting approximately $13 billion in midstream and downstream investment across five hubs. Downstream expansion is advancing in parallel. Angola is targeting 425,000 barrels per day of refining capacity across Luanda, Cabinda, Lobito and Soyo as it seeks to reduce a refined-product import bill that reached approximately $1.96 billion in the first half of 2026.

AOG Recognizes Industry and Emerging Talent

The AOG Awards recognized achievements across the value chain, with Azule Energy named Game Changer of the Year, Sonangol Explorer of the Year, Etu Energias Local Company of the Year and the Cabinda Refinery Downstream Player of the Year. Aníbal Octávio Teixeira da Silva received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Four female students – Abigail Francisco Boa, Chana Lisboa, Genilda Ricardo and Madalena Yanesa Ramos Neto – also received the Albina Faria de Assis Pereira Africano Scholarship, which provides financial support to leading female entrants to Angola’s National Petroleum Institute.

ANPG Expands Investor Access

The ANPG took another step toward improving the investment environment, launching an upgraded website featuring AI-powered search and a dedicated investor space. The platform provides greater access to industry data, investment opportunities and ANPG teams, supporting faster communication between the regulator and prospective investors.

Exhibition Connects Industry Players

Alongside the conference, the AOG 2026 exhibition brought together operators, service companies, technology providers and government institutions, providing a platform to showcase projects, capabilities and investment opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas value chain.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 




 

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Load shedding has eased: South Africa now faces its next industrial energy test

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4 days ago

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September 18, 2026

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The EIUG Conference will bring together industrial energy users, policymakers, utilities, financiers and technology providers to examine what South Africa’s next phase of the energy transition means for the businesses that power its economy

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 17, 2026/APO Group/ –South Africa’s energy conversation is changing. With Eskom recording more than 400 consecutive days without load shedding, the focus for energy-intensive businesses is shifting from simply securing electricity to ensuring that energy supports industrial competitiveness, investment and growth.

 




 
 

For South Africa’s mines, manufacturers, smelters and other large power users, significant challenges remain. Grid capacity, rising operating costs, renewable energy integration, power quality and the financing of alternative energy solutions are increasingly influencing investment and operational decisions.

These issues will take centre stage at the EIUG Conference, taking place 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg, focused on the challenges and opportunities facing South Africa’s energy-intensive users.

The next industrial energy challenge

Large energy users are already changing how they source power. Seriti Green’s 155 MW Ummbila Emoyeni wind farm, which began commercial operations in July 2026, is supplying Seriti’s mining operations through wheeling, illustrating how industrial users are increasingly combining grid electricity with private renewable generation.

At the same time, transmission capacity is becoming critical as more generation connects to the system. Recent collaboration between the Development Bank of Southern Africa and National Transmission Company South Africa is aimed at accelerating investment in South Africa’s transmission network.

The EIUG Conference programme reflects these changing priorities.

The session “Industrialisation Under Threat?” will examine whether current energy and market conditions are supporting or constraining South Africa’s mining, manufacturing and smelting sectors, including the impact of energy costs, self-generation and changing industrial demand.

A dedicated Grid Security discussion will explore ageing infrastructure, renewable penetration, frequency stability, voltage fluctuations and the roles of NTCSA, Eskom, municipalities and industry in maintaining a reliable electricity system.

Delegates will also explore renewable energy integration for heavy industry, including how solar, wind and hybrid energy systems can support the continuous power requirements of mining, manufacturing, metals and cement operations.

Financing these changes will be equally important. The programme’s Finance for Transition Masterclass will cover financing models, de-risking, storage economics and investment in industrial decarbonisation projects.

From energy security to competitiveness

South Africa’s improved electricity availability is an important milestone, but the next measure of success will be whether the country can turn a changing energy system into stronger industrial growth.

The EIUG Conference will bring together industrial energy users, policymakers, utilities, financiers and technology providers to examine what South Africa’s next phase of the energy transition means for the businesses that power its economy.

The question is no longer only whether South Africa can keep the lights on, but whether its energy system can keep its industries competitive.

Event details

EIUG Conference 2026
28–29 October 2026
The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 

 




 

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