African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) hosted a Local Content Development Forum in Luanda, Angola, on 9 September 2026, bringing together government institutions, financial institutions, indigenous companies and industry players to explore financing opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas value chain.

Held at the Centro de Convenções de Talatona, the forum focused on how financing, partnerships and transaction structures could support the growth of Angolan companies across the sector, including opportunities in project finance, trade finance, downstream infrastructure and industrial development.

Angola remains one of Africa’s most significant energy markets, with Afreximbank having invested close to US$2 billion in the country’s oil and gas sector. The forum built on that engagement by examining how more Angolan companies could progress from participation into ownership and scale, when the right financing, partnerships and structures are made available to them.

Commenting on Afreximbank’s ambition to support the next generation of Angolan energy companies, Mr. Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank, said:

“Angola has built a strong platform for its energy sector, with Afreximbank playing a longstanding role in structuring, financing and mobilising capital to support its development at scale. The next phase is about enabling more Angolan companies to move from participation and service provision towards ownership and scale, drawing on the experience of successful indigenous African operators to turn that ambition into bankable transactions and build the next generation of national and regional champions.”

Speaking at the Forum, Berta Rodrigues Issa, President of ASSEA (Association of Indigenous Companies for the Oil Industry of Angola), congratulated Afreximbank on hosting the event, and for placing Local Content where it truly belongs: “A country does not industrialise merely by exporting more than it imports. It industrialises when it transforms its resources, develops productive capacity and builds companies capable of competing beyond its borders. That is why Afreximbank’s theme- “From Resources to Value” – is so deeply aligned with Angola’s Local Content agenda.

“For ASSEA, Local Content cannot be limited to the participation of Angolan-owned companies in one-off contracts. It must be a deliberate path towards capacity building, industrialization and competitiveness.”

The forum examined practical constraints facing indigenous companies, including access to appropriate financing, bankability, execution capability and market access, and considered how Afreximbank’s financing and advisory capabilities could help address these barriers.

Participants also drew lessons from Nigeria, where indigenous companies such as Oando and Heirs Energies have expanded their ownership and operating positions through significant acquisition transactions. Oando’s US$783 million acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company increased its interests in OMLs 60–63 from 20% to 40%, while Heirs Energies acquired a 45% interest in OML 17 and assumed operatorship of the asset. The examples illustrated how indigenous African companies can scale into larger ownership and operating roles.

The forum also highlighted significant pipeline of opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas sector, including US$2.5 billion for Lobito Oil, US$1 billion for Sonangol, US$1.4 billion for Amufert and US$280 million for Itracom.

Discussions centred on how public institutions, local banks, industry operators and investors could work together to advance these opportunities towards implementation.

The move comes as Dakar works to translate first oil and first gas into broader industrial growth, stronger domestic participation and long-term energy security. Against this backdrop, Birame Soulèye Diop, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, will speak at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from October 12-16 – where he is expected to present Senegal’s roadmap for balancing investor engagement, gas monetization and sovereign energy development.

In January 2026, 3.8 million barrels of crude oil were exported from the Sangomar field, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project is expected to nearly double its LNG cargoes in 2026 as the FLNG ramp‑up continues. Beyond current production, Senegal is also pushing to expand its resource pipeline. Petrosen has announced plans for a $100 million onshore exploration program in 2026, while the government has also signaled a stronger strategic focus on Yakaar-Teranga, with Senegalese investors encouraged to take a greater role in developing the 25 trillion cubic feet gas resource to prioritize domestic needs while keeping export optionality on the table.

Dakar is now focused on the next phase: using domestic gas resources to lower electricity costs, improve fuel security and support industrial competitiveness. A key pillar of this strategy is the 250 MW Gandon power plant, expected to be supplied through new gas infrastructure linked to the GTA system, alongside the broader Cap des Biches and northern gas corridor buildout. At the same time, Dakar is continuing to strengthen the regulatory foundations of its power transition. In March 2026, the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines validated Senegal’s first national standards for solar photovoltaic equipment, a move designed to improve quality, safety and performance as the country scales renewable energy deployment in parallel with oil and gas infrastructure.

At AEW 2026, Minister Diop is expected to provide strategic insight into how Senegal is navigating the transition from discovery and commissioning to full-scale execution. His participation is set to reinforce Senegal as one of the few frontier African producers pursuing an integrated model that combines hydrocarbons, gas-to-power and renewables under a single national development agenda.

“Minister Diop represents the kind of pragmatic African leadership that is turning resource potential into real economic transformation. Senegal is showing how first oil and first gas can become the basis for industrial growth, stronger regional integration and long-term energy security and his insights will bring great value to AEW 2026,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

The transaction, which gives bp operatorship of blocks PEL97, PEL99 and PEL100 in Namibia’s Walvis Basin, marks a significant expansion of the UK supermajor’s African upstream footprint. The assets were acquired from Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas, with bp stepping into a position that places it closer to Namibia’s rapidly evolving deepwater exploration corridor adjacent to the Orange Basin.

The deal reinforces the shift in Africa’s exploration narrative – from perceived frontier risk toward increasingly competitive global opportunity, underpinned by geological potential, improving partnerships and rising investor confidence.

“Credit must be given to bp for recognizing the scale of opportunity in Namibia, and equally to Gil Holzman and Eco Atlantic for pioneering early exploration efforts that helped position these blocks on the global radar,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “This is what African energy development should look like – international majors and African-focused companies working together to unlock value, build knowledge and accelerate development.”

Namibia has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s most closely watched frontier exploration provinces, following a wave of offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin by operators including Shell, TotalEnergies and Galp. These discoveries have repositioned the country as a potential multi-billion-barrel deepwater oil province and triggered a surge of international interest.

The Walvis Basin, where bp has now established operatorship, remains less explored but is increasingly seen as a geological extension of the same broader petroleum system. Early indicators point to comparable reservoir characteristics, positioning it as a potential next frontier for exploration-led investment. While appraisal and development timelines remain long-cycle, Namibia is expected to see first production from offshore discoveries by the end of the decade, assuming continued exploration success and infrastructure alignment.

bp’s move reflects a broader rebalancing in global upstream portfolios, as international oil companies prioritize high-impact exploration opportunities capable of delivering long-term reserves growth.

Africa is increasingly benefiting from this shift. As mature basins face declining output and rising costs, frontier regions such as Namibia are emerging as strategic alternatives offering scale, geological upside and relatively open acreage.

Under the agreement, Eco Atlantic will retain a minority stake alongside Namibia’s national oil company NAMCOR, ensuring continued local participation in the development of the blocks. This model is critical to ensuring that exploration success translates into domestic value creation, local capability development and long-term production capacity.

While Namibia remains in the exploration phase, the pace of activity points to a rapidly evolving basin trajectory. bp’s entry adds technical expertise and financial capacity that could accelerate appraisal drilling and future development planning.

The deal also reflects a broader validation of Africa’s upstream sector as a central pillar of future global energy security, particularly as supply diversification becomes a strategic priority for international markets. bp’s investment, alongside the groundwork laid by Eco Atlantic under Gil Holzman’s leadership, underscores a collaboration model that positions Namibia not just as a frontier play, but as an emerging cornerstone of Africa’s deepwater future.