President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye presided over the opening of the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 Summit, heralding Africa’s changing role as a marginalised supplier of raw material to the global market.
He advocated for better utilisation of regional resources and the strengthening of energy integration.
Addressing investors and partners from across the continent on Tuesday, the Senegalese leader affirmed that Africa is no longer marginalised and intends to become an active participant in shaping its energy future.
President Faye officially opened the fourth edition of the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 Summit in Diamniadio, on Tuesday morning.
This strategic meeting brings together the countries of the MSGBC basin (Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea-Conakry) as well as other African and international partners.
In his inaugural address, the Senegalese leder emphasised the need to build value chains capable of supporting industrialisation, employment, and sustainable prosperity for the region’s populations.
“Dakar is not just the capital of Senegal. For a few days, it is one of the nerve centres where the outlines of the African continent’s energy future are being imagined, formulated, and shaped,” President Faye declared.
According to him, Africa, long relegated to the role of raw material supplier, is now rejecting marginalisation and asserting its right to develop its resources, its skills, and its capacity to build modern and sustainable energy sovereignty.
Building an Integrated Energy Market
The Senegalese president stressed the need to build an integrated energy market in the MSGBC basin, emphasising that this region is not just a shared geological basin but a community of shared destiny.
“Achieving this goal requires building an integrated energy market, harmonising our policies, pooling our infrastructure, and establishing a shared capacity to exert greater influence in global
decision-making,” he stated.
The Senegalese head of state cited the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, a joint venture between Senegal and Mauritania, as proof that Africa can design, finance, and deliver complex cross-border projects.
Nod to investors
Addressing investors worldwide, President Faye delivered a clear message: “Africa is ready! It welcomes you to an environment that is stabilising, structuring itself, and moving forward with a clear vision, proven strategies, and concrete projects.”
According to him, investing in Africa means not only extracting resources, but also contributing to job creation for young people, the development of competitive industries, and the emergence of innovations.
The Senegalese leader also stressed the promotion of local content, by providing an environment conducive to the growth of African businesses and by ensuring sustainable and transparent management of revenues from the exploitation of energy discoveries.
Empowering a United Africa
The theme of this fourth MSGBC Summit is “Let’s Empower a United Africa,” a call to action for governments, businesses, institutions, and investors to work together to connect grids, align policies, and build African energy independence.
“This forum must produce strong decisions, concrete partnerships, and a consolidated vision for a stronger, more united, and fully sovereign Africa,” emphasised President Faye.
He thanked the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, the African Energy Chamber, the PETROSEN Group, and all the partners who contributed to organising this major event on the African energy calendar.
“Let’s make this the decade where Africa moves from promise to power,” he concluded before declaring the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power Summit 2025 open.
The previous edition of the summit was held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in 2023.
AC/fss/as/APA