African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Unlocking the Potential of Africa’s Energy Sector through Local Content and Workforce Development
African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies is putting a spotlight on the transformative potential of energy projects beyond resource extraction, emphasizing local content, workforce development and sustainable community impact. A central feature of the conference – the Local Content Roundtable on Day 2, sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) – will explore how energy companies and governments can work together to build African capacity, strengthen local supply chains and create meaningful employment.
Moderated by Hamlet Morule, Executive Head of Communications&External Affairs at bp South Africa, the roundtable will convene industry leaders and policy experts from across the continent. Speakers include Abdulmalik Halilu, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB; Alexander Merson, SVP of Asset Operations at Petrofac; Tony Paul, Key Associate for In-Country Value Addition at Future Energy Partners; Bradford Donohue, CEO of IHRDC; Jorge de Morais, General Manager at KAESO Energy Services; Mor Bakhoum, Technical Secretary at ST-CNSL Senegal; and a senior representative from AGL.
The session will examine practical challenges in local content implementation across Angola, Nigeria and South Africa – including limited technical skills, underdeveloped SME ecosystems and inconsistent policy enforcement – as well as showcase how specific projects are delivering tangible economic benefits.
In Nigeria, for example, the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Project in Bayelsa State is a $3.5 billion initiative that not only produces petrochemical and gas-based products for export but also generates over 5,000 direct and 35,000 indirect jobs. It reduces routine gas flaring, supplies local industries and power plants and cuts fertilizer imports by nearly 30%, saving the country an estimated $200 million annually. This project exemplifies how energy development can stimulate local supply chains, boost industrial capacity and create lasting employment opportunities.
In Angola, the Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 offshore projects, which began production in July 2025, are adding 60,000 barrels per day to the country’s output. Begonia is the first project between blocks in Angola with a “significant” component of local content – according to national concessionaire ANPG – demonstrating the country’s commitment to integrating local labor and suppliers into offshore operations.
“Local content is more than just a compliance requirement. It’s about creating sustainable jobs, developing local supply chains and empowering communities. Every energy project should leave a tangible legacy for the people and economies where it operates,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
AEW 2025’s programming underlines that energy development in Africa is shifting from short-term extraction to long-term economic transformation. By embedding workforce development and supplier capacity into core strategies, governments and companies are transferring skills, supporting SMEs and enabling communities to benefit directly from Africa’s energy growth.
The Local Content Roundtable reinforces that achieving these outcomes requires collaboration, innovation and consistent policy enforcement. Across the continent, from Nigeria’s petrochemical plants to Angola’s deepwater FPSOs, energy initiatives are now creating enduring value for local economies, expanding skills and building resilient supply chains.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
About AEW:
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
