HE Eng. Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), participated in an international panel at NIES 2025 on “Bridging Continents: Driving Cross-Continental Investment – Scaling Africa’s Energy Frontier.”
In his remarks, HE Hamel emphasised the urgent need for investment in Africa’s energy sector to drive economic transformation, enhance energy access, and unlock the continent’s vast energy potential.
Highlighting that natural gas demand is projected to rise by 32% by the mid-century, he stressed that Africa, with over 8% of the world’s proven gas reserves, must leverage this resource to support economic growth, fertiliser production, and the transition from traditional biomass to LPG in the residential sector. He commended Nigeria’s leadership in fostering public-private partnerships and praised regional energy cooperation efforts, particularly the Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea partnership and the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) with Algeria, as models for boosting cross-border investment.
HE Hamel strongly opposed calls to halt financing for natural gas projects, describing them as misguided and unjust. He reaffirmed that Africa, responsible for only 3% of global emissions, must not be deprived of the opportunity to develop its vast natural gas resources to drive economic growth and energy security. Emphasising GECF’s unwavering commitment to Africa, he highlighted the Forum’s pivotal role in fostering investment, capacity-building, and technology development to ensure the continent’s energy future remains secure, sustainable, and prosperous.
HE Hamel further highlighted the Algiers Declaration by the 7th Summit of the GECF Heads of State and Government, expressing strong support for African countries in their efforts to combat energy poverty, expand energy access, and drive sustainable, equitable, and inclusive socio-economic development, in line with the United Nations 2030 Development Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, ensuring progress while upholding environmental protection.