Beyond the price of technology lies a much bigger opportunity. At African Energy Week 2026, NEUMAN & ESSER’s Nmesoma Okereke made a compelling case for transforming flared gas into commercial value, cleaner energy and lasting economic opportunities for African communities.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
Africa cannot afford to waste valuable energy resources while millions of its people struggle with energy poverty. That was the powerful message emerging from Nmesoma Okereke’s contribution at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, where the NEUMAN & ESSER (NEA GROUP) Flare Gas Recovery Specialist challenged energy operators, investors and policymakers to look beyond the upfront cost of gas recovery technology and focus on the enormous economic, environmental and social value it can unlock.
For Okereke, the question is no longer simply how much it costs to capture gas that would otherwise be burned off, but how much Africa stands to gain by putting that gas to productive use. From generating additional revenue for energy producers to expanding access to cleaner cooking fuels, reducing emissions and creating opportunities for local communities, she believes gas commercialization offers a practical response to some of the continent’s most pressing energy and development challenges.
Participating in the panel discussion, “From Flares to Fuel: Methane Reduction and Gas Monetization Strategies for Low-Carbon Production,” Okereke brought a commercial and development-oriented perspective to a conversation often dominated by engineering specifications, capital expenditure and environmental compliance.
Reflecting on the session after the summit, she recalled being asked a direct question about the cost of NEUMAN & ESSER’s flare gas recovery technology. Rather than concentrating exclusively on the price of the equipment, she encouraged a broader assessment of the economic opportunities that investment in such technology could generate.
“It is easy to put a price tag on a technology. The more important question is: What value does it unlock?” she observed.
Her argument goes to the heart of one of Africa’s persistent energy contradictions. Despite possessing substantial oil and natural gas resources, the continent continues to grapple with widespread energy poverty, limited access to modern cooking fuels and the loss of valuable associated gas through routine flaring.
For oil and gas operators, the commercial case for recovery can be significant. Gas that would otherwise be wasted can potentially be processed and sold, used to generate electricity, supplied to industries or converted into products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), depending on the composition of the recovered gas and the available infrastructure.
For governments and communities, the benefits can extend well beyond additional energy supplies, creating opportunities for employment, industrial activity, improved public health and more sustainable economic development.
“When evaluating flare gas recovery solutions, the benefits extend far beyond the initial investment,” Okereke explained, identifying commercial, environmental and social value as the three major considerations.
She placed particular emphasis on cleaner cooking, an area where Africa’s abundant gas resources could make a meaningful difference to everyday lives.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, millions of households continue to depend on firewood, charcoal and other traditional cooking fuels, exposing families to harmful household air pollution while contributing to environmental degradation.
Okereke believes recovering and processing suitable flare gas into LPG could help expand access to cleaner cooking alternatives, particularly in underserved communities where modern energy solutions remain out of reach.
Such an approach would connect upstream oil and gas operations more directly to the needs of ordinary Africans, transforming a resource traditionally associated with waste and pollution into an opportunity for household energy access and economic empowerment.
Her intervention also underscored the importance of viewing emissions reduction and economic growth as complementary objectives rather than competing priorities. With the right technologies, infrastructure and commercial frameworks, African energy producers can potentially reduce flaring while generating additional revenue from resources already available to them.
This philosophy is central to NEUMAN & ESSER’s approach to energy solutions across Africa and other international markets.
The German engineering group brings extensive experience in compression technology and related energy applications, supporting operators seeking to improve efficiency, optimize production and develop commercially viable gas utilization projects.
Okereke highlighted the role of NEUMAN & ESSER’s compressor technologies in marine and liquefied natural gas operations, including floating LNG developments where specialized equipment supports gas processing and monetization.
“In marine and LNG applications, our compressor technologies support growing LNG demand and enable gas monetization through projects such as FLNG developments,” she stated.
In flare gas recovery applications, the company’s solutions help operators capture and utilize valuable gas resources while reducing emissions associated with routine flaring.
For Africa, where the challenge of financing energy infrastructure frequently intersects with the need to strengthen local technical capabilities, such solutions could offer opportunities to improve the economics of existing oil and gas operations while supporting wider development objectives.
The emphasis on value rather than equipment pricing also speaks to the broader investment debate confronting African energy producers. While capital expenditure remains a critical consideration, a comprehensive assessment must also account for potential revenues, operational savings, environmental benefits and the long-term commercial viability of recovered gas projects.
These considerations are especially relevant as African governments and operators seek practical ways to monetize associated gas, develop domestic gas markets and reduce the economic losses linked to routine flaring.
NEUMAN & ESSER’s participation at AEW 2026 reflected its growing engagement with these priorities and its determination to strengthen relationships with customers, policymakers and industry partners across the continent.
The company’s delegation included Dr. Jiří Rus, Sales Director Africa, whose participation in the discussion on “Africa’s Oil & Gas Services Opportunity” complemented Okereke’s contribution on methane reduction and gas monetization.
While Okereke emphasized the commercial and social benefits of recovering wasted gas, the broader NEUMAN & ESSER engagement highlighted the importance of engineering expertise, local partnerships, technical capacity and sustainable service delivery in advancing Africa’s energy ambitions.
Together, the discussions reinforced a central consideration for Africa’s energy industry: developing natural resources is important, but building the technological and human capabilities needed to maximize their value is equally essential.
Okereke was particularly appreciative of the support she received from the company’s leadership, crediting Dr. Rus with encouraging her to share her expertise on a major international platform.
She also acknowledged African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk for supporting NEUMAN & ESSER’s active participation in African Energy Week, an event that continues to connect energy producers, investors, technology providers and policymakers from across Africa and beyond.
“I am incredibly grateful to my Manager Dr. Jiří Rus MBA for encouraging and empowering me to share my knowledge on this stage, and to NJ Ayuk JD, MBA for supporting the vision of NEA’s active participation at Africa Energy Week,” she stated.
Beyond the formal discussions, the summit provided valuable opportunities for NEUMAN & ESSER to reconnect with industry colleagues, strengthen existing customer relationships and engage prospective partners interested in gas recovery, compression technology and wider energy infrastructure development.
For Okereke, however, the ultimate measure of the summit’s success will be the practical outcomes that follow.
She expressed optimism about the opportunities ahead, looking forward to “turning these conversations into tangible opportunities and impactful projects in the months ahead.”
Her message resonates with the wider ambitions of African Energy Week, which has consistently emphasized investment, partnerships, local content and the need for African countries to derive greater economic benefits from their natural resources.
As governments intensify efforts to reduce routine gas flaring and expand access to modern energy, the commercial potential of gas recovery is likely to attract increasing attention from operators, technology providers and investors.
Realizing that potential will require more than engineering solutions alone. Supportive regulations, access to financing, viable markets for recovered gas, reliable infrastructure and sustained collaboration between governments and the private sector will all be essential.
For NEUMAN & ESSER, the conversations in Cape Town offered an opportunity to demonstrate how established engineering capabilities can support Africa’s evolving energy priorities while creating new avenues for commercial partnerships.
For Okereke, the case is equally compelling from a development perspective. Every viable opportunity to recover and commercialize gas represents a chance to generate economic value, reduce avoidable emissions and bring modern energy solutions closer to communities that need them.
At a time when Africa is working to reconcile energy security, industrialization and environmental responsibility, her intervention offered a timely reminder that the true value of technology should ultimately be measured by the problems it solves and the opportunities it creates.