By Ajong Mbapndah L
African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman challenges foreign energy policies, demands investment-friendly reforms, backs African Energy Bank and calls for an end to xenophobia and resource nationalism.
Africa must take control of its energy future, reject policies that perpetuate energy poverty and move decisively from promises to projects, African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk declared in a fiery opening address at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.
In a speech that drew attention to the contradictions in global energy policies, regulatory obstacles, financing challenges and Africa’s enormous untapped potential, Ayuk challenged African governments to take greater responsibility for developing their resources. He also delivered a strong message against xenophobia, excessive resource nationalism and bureaucratic practices that discourage investment.
“Africa is no longer asking for permission,” Ayuk declared, making it clear that the continent must have the final say in decisions affecting its natural resources and economic development. Welcoming delegates to Cape Town, he reminded them that Africa was not simply another destination for international conferences but home to millions whose livelihoods depend on the decisions being made.
With energy security returning to the forefront of global discussions, Ayuk said Africa must become an active participant in shaping international energy policy rather than allowing others to determine its development priorities. For too long, he argued, foreign governments, international institutions and climate campaigners had prescribed how African countries should manage their resources while pursuing different policies at home.
He criticized calls for African countries to leave their oil and gas resources undeveloped, questioning the fairness of an energy transition that places additional restrictions on economies still struggling to provide reliable electricity, create jobs and industrialize.
“We will build our own transition,” Ayuk declared, insisting that Africa’s energy choices must reflect its economic realities, development priorities and the urgent need to expand access to affordable power.
For Ayuk, the immediate priority is energy addition rather than energy subtraction. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion and continuing to grow, Africa needs more electricity generation, pipelines, factories, transmission infrastructure and investment across the energy value chain.
“This conference is about energy addition, not subtraction,” he said, rejecting the argument that African countries should follow the same energy transition timetable as wealthy industrialized economies.
Ayuk pointed to disruptions in the Middle East as another reminder of the importance of energy security, arguing that Africa must strengthen its production capacity, infrastructure and position in global energy markets. Energy security, he stressed, depends on reliable logistics, sound policies, access to capital and the ability to execute projects.
Turning to the continent’s established producers, he acknowledged the contributions of Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Libya and Egypt, while praising Nigeria’s reform efforts and Angola’s investment incentives. He recalled a recent visit to Angola during which numerous agreements were signed, describing the country’s deal-making momentum as an example worth following.
South Africa, however, received a particularly direct challenge. Ayuk urged the government to accelerate regulatory reforms and open the Orange Basin to greater exploration, warning that the country risked missing valuable opportunities while neighboring Namibia advanced its offshore petroleum ambitions.
“South Africa needs to get its regulatory environment in order,” he said, calling on authorities to pass the necessary legislation and create conditions that would encourage investment in the basin.
Ayuk argued that Africa’s resource wealth would mean little without policies that attract capital and enable companies to develop commercially viable projects. Governments, he said, must provide competitive fiscal terms, regulatory certainty and efficient approval processes if they expect investors to commit the substantial financing required for energy development.
Financing featured prominently in his address, with Ayuk welcoming progress toward the establishment of the African Energy Bank. He described the initiative as an important response to the difficulties African oil and gas projects face in accessing international capital.
He paid tribute to Professor Benedict Oramah for his support of the initiative, recalling conversations dating back to 2021 when the idea of establishing a dedicated African energy financing institution was gathering momentum.
Ayuk said African countries could no longer afford to depend entirely on financial institutions whose lending priorities often fail to reflect the continent’s development needs. He questioned the international treatment of natural gas, noting that the fuel is considered important for European energy security while similar investments in Africa face opposition.
The African Energy Bank, he argued, could help close that financing gap and give African companies greater opportunities to participate in the development of the continent’s petroleum resources.
Ayuk also highlighted the importance of expanding Africa’s refining capacity, pointing to the Dangote refinery as an example of what can be achieved when major investments are directed toward domestic processing.
He praised the refinery’s contribution to fuel supplies and argued that Africa should increasingly refine its own crude oil rather than remain dependent on imported petroleum products. Greater refining capacity, he said, would strengthen energy security, support industrial development and improve Africa’s position in international petroleum trade.
Exploration remained central to his vision. Ayuk urged governments and operators to intensify exploration in both established and emerging petroleum provinces, while investing in near-field opportunities, optimizing existing assets and updating contracts to sustain production.
He warned that declining output from mature fields could undermine energy security unless countries maintained investment in exploration and production. For a continent still confronting widespread energy poverty, he argued, restricting new discoveries would be economically damaging.
The speech also carried an international dimension, with Ayuk welcoming a high-level delegation from Venezuela and expressing support for efforts to revive the country’s petroleum industry. He presented cooperation among energy-producing countries of the Global South as an opportunity to strengthen investment, exchange expertise and advance common interests.
Beyond oil, gas and investment, Ayuk devoted a significant portion of his address to the need for greater African unity, delivering a forceful condemnation of xenophobia and Afrophobia.
“When foreign nationals and fellow Africans face hostility, it is a stain on our collective conscience,” he declared, insisting that violence and discrimination against Africans from other countries must never be tolerated.
Referring to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opposition to xenophobia, Ayuk urged governments, businesses and citizens to defend the principles of continental solidarity. He reminded delegates that the energy industry itself demonstrates the value of cooperation, with pipelines, electricity networks and major infrastructure projects often extending across national borders.
He warned that hostility toward fellow Africans undermines the very cooperation needed to develop the continent’s resources and expand economic opportunities. For an industry that depends on the movement of skilled workers, technology, equipment and investment, regional integration was not simply desirable but essential.
Ayuk was equally critical of excessive resource nationalism, warning that unpredictable regulations and poorly designed local content policies could discourage investment and ultimately hurt the African economies they were intended to protect.
While strongly supporting local content and greater participation by African businesses, he cautioned governments against imposing unrealistic requirements, changing contractual terms or introducing regulations that make projects commercially unviable.
“Isolation is economic suicide,” he warned, arguing that local content policies must be designed to strengthen African participation without driving away the capital, technology and expertise needed to develop major projects.
He called for a more practical approach that allows African companies to grow alongside international investors, creating jobs, building technical capacity and ensuring that resource development delivers lasting benefits to host communities.
Bureaucracy also came under fire, with Ayuk criticizing government officials who appear more concerned with controlling approvals than facilitating investment. He urged authorities to measure success by projects delivered, capital mobilized and jobs created rather than the number of agreements delayed or rejected.
“We must be a nation and a continent of builders, not bureaucrats,” he declared, calling for greater respect for contracts, faster approvals and a stronger commitment to delivering projects.
Cameroon, his home country, also featured in the address. Ayuk expressed pride in the country’s presentation of a new exploration licensing round and plans for a major data center project, describing both initiatives as examples of the opportunities available when governments pursue investment across traditional energy and emerging infrastructure sectors.
As he approached the conclusion of his speech, Ayuk turned his attention to the next generation of African energy professionals, urging established industry leaders to create more opportunities for young people and women.
He acknowledged that the energy industry still had considerable work to do in improving women’s participation and called for stronger efforts to recognize their talents, expertise and leadership potential. Young Africans, he said, must be encouraged to see the energy sector as an industry in which they can build successful careers and contribute to the continent’s development.
Ayuk challenged experienced executives and industry pioneers to mentor younger professionals, open doors and help them overcome the obstacles that frequently confront African talent. The future of the industry, he suggested, would depend as much on developing people as on discovering new resources.
His address at AEW 2026 offered a wide-ranging assessment of the challenges facing Africa’s energy sector, from financing restrictions and regulatory uncertainty to inadequate infrastructure, declining production and the need for greater regional cooperation.
It also reflected growing confidence among African energy advocates that the continent must play a more decisive role in shaping its economic future. Ayuk’s message to governments was that abundant natural resources alone would not deliver prosperity without sound policies, investment, effective institutions and a willingness to act.
With African Energy Week bringing together policymakers, investors, industry executives and energy professionals from across the continent and beyond, Ayuk challenged participants to ensure that discussions in Cape Town translated into tangible investments and projects.
His closing rallying cry, “Drill, baby, drill,” drew together a speech built around African ownership, industrial ambition and the determination to end energy poverty. For Ayuk, the choice facing the continent was clear: develop its resources, attract investment, build infrastructure and create opportunities for its people, or continue allowing its enormous potential to remain unrealized.