8th sub-Saharan petroleum exhibition, conference opens in Lagos

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The three-day 8th Sub-Saharan International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, “SAIPEC2024” opened on Tuesday in Lagos with hundreds of African and international energy experts and regulators in attendance.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference and Exhibition, themed “Next steps: Accelerating African Content”, the Secretary General African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Mr. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, stated that the salvation of the African oil and gas industry in this challenging era of energy transition lies in cooperation and collaboration among African States.
He wondered why Africa is relying on foreign countries and firms to provide the markets, funding and technology for the African oil and gas industry and called for collective efforts in tackling the challenges and changing the narrative.
According to him, African leaders and energy experts should come together to develop home grown solutions to the energy challenges.
He disclosed that APPO is working towards ensuring that it creates regional centres of excellence across different regions of the continent in order to tackle the issues of finance and technology.
“We do not believe that Nigeria or Kenya or Mozambique or any of these individual countries has what it takes to be able to say that it has mastered the technology in the oil and gas industry.
“I must admit that some countries have gone very far, Nigeria is one, Algeria is another, but this notwithstanding, Nigeria, cannot do it alone. And that is why we are coming together as a continent to develop these various institutions so that it may be established in Nigeria or Algeria or Angola, it belongs to all of us,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Nicholas Odiniwe, noted that the time has come for Africa to take its place and tell its stories.
He reiterated the power of the African Continent and its ability to shape the narratives, change and drive economic growth.
He explained that the theme of the conference resonates deeply with Africa as it signifies a collective determination to propel African Content to break barriers and to create opportunities.
“Today we embark on a journey that holds tremendous potential for African Continent and its thriving content industry.
“We firmly believe that the time has come for Africa to take the centre stage to showcase its rich cultural heritage and to tell these stories to the world.
“Today we gather not only to discuss strategies, but to foster the collaboration that will drive this acceleration.
“We have a unique opportunity to leverage on our collective strength to pull resources to create an ecosystem that nurtures talent, fosters innovation and empowers our content creators.
Odiniwe also explained the importance of technology as an enabler that allows us to create, connect and distribute content like never before.
He noted that although it is time to build and accelerate the growth of African Content, Africans must ensure that they preserve the essence of what makes that contentment so unique.
He also called on government institutions to refrain from illegally taking the funds generated by oil and gas stakeholders for local content development as part of their budgetary allocations.
GIK/APA