The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and chief executives of national oil companies across Africa, will converge in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 12 for the eighth African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) national oil company chief executive officers’ forum to discuss regional refining, energy financing and cross-border petroleum trade.
The high-level meeting, which will be held alongside the African Energy Week 2026 and hosted by the South African National Petroleum Company, comes as African countries intensify efforts to strengthen energy security, expand domestic refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
Key Highlights:
NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, is expected to join heads of national oil companies from Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Libya, Senegal, Namibia, Cameroon, Gabon, Egypt and other APPO member states to deliberate on strategies for accelerating growth across Africa’s oil and gas industry.
A major focus of the forum will be expanding refining capacity across the continent to enable African countries to process more of their crude oil locally instead of exporting crude and importing refined petroleum products.
Although Africa possesses significant crude oil and natural gas reserves, many countries continue to rely heavily on imported refined fuels because of inadequate refining facilities, limited storage infrastructure and investment gaps within the downstream petroleum sector.
Delegates are also expected to examine proposals for establishing a regional petroleum products exchange that would harmonise fuel quality standards, customs procedures and regulatory frameworks to facilitate cross-border trade and strengthen regional energy security.
Another key item on the agenda is the proposed Africa Energy Bank, APPO’s flagship financing initiative aimed at mobilising African capital for investments in oil, gas and energy infrastructure as access to international funding for hydrocarbon projects continues to decline.
Participants are expected to explore stronger collaboration with Afreximbank while identifying commercially viable upstream, midstream and downstream energy projects for implementation from 2027.
Natural gas development will also feature prominently during the discussions, with delegates expected to examine regional cooperation on liquefied natural gas (LNG), gas-to-power projects, expansion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) utilisation and strategies to commercialise stranded gas resources while reducing routine gas flaring.
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Nigeria, which holds one of Africa’s largest proven natural gas reserves, is expected to play a significant role in the discussions on gas development and regional energy integration.
The forum will further explore opportunities for joint investments, shared infrastructure, technology transfer and stronger technical collaboration among African national oil companies to boost the continent’s energy sector.
APPO is also expected to unveil digital platforms designed to connect investors, suppliers, researchers and training institutions, creating new opportunities for African service companies to participate more actively in energy projects across the continent.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of a 2027 implementation roadmap outlining priority projects, financing strategies and measurable performance targets for member countries.
Industry observers say the outcome of the forum could shape Africa’s refining capacity, energy financing strategy and regional petroleum trade for years to come, while helping oil-producing countries retain greater value from their natural resources and strengthen long-term energy security.
