From Vision to Global Energy Leader: The African Energy Week (AEW) Story (By Ajong Mbapndah L)
By Ajong Mbapndah L, Managing Editor, Pan African Visions
In 2021, when the African Energy Chamber (AEC) announced the inaugural African Energy Week (AEW) in Cape Town, many raised skeptical eyebrows. The conventional wisdom was clear: world-class energy summits belonged in Dubai, Houston, or London – not in Africa. Yet, NJ Ayuk, the AEC’s Executive Chairman, saw a different story -one rooted in possibility and pride.
“Africa has the resources, the talent, and the vision to lead,” he often reminds audiences. What others dismissed as ambition; Ayuk embraced as a calling. He imagined corridors buzzing with dealmakers, innovators, and policymakers, all converging on the continent to shape its energy future.
From that first leap of faith, what started as a modest gathering has since blossomed into Africa’s largest energy event, now moving billions in potential deals and drawing the world’s attention to a continent redefining its energy destiny.
“They told us it couldn’t be done in Cape Town,” Ayuk recalls. “But with huge support from the City of Cape Town, the South African government, international oil companies, national oil companies, and even alternative energy firms, we proved Africa can host a world-class, continent-wide energy event. And we did it in the middle of a pandemic.”
The inaugural AEW was more than a conference – it was a declaration. Ministers from South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mozambique, Libya, South Sudan, and beyond arrived with a united front: Africa would not be sidelined in global energy dialogue, especially discussions related to the global energy transition.
Gwede Mantashe, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, set the tone: “Natural gas will be part of the transition, and yet we are told that all fossil fuels are bad. Africa must position its oil and gas at the forefront of global energy… When we commit to net zero, we do so with the reality that energy can guarantee economic growth and industrialisation.”
It wasn’t just rhetoric. Deals were struck, partnerships formed, and a new platform for African energy diplomacy was born. By the time the event closed, the AEC knew it wasn’t a one-off. The AEW conference would return – bigger and bolder.
Billions in Play, Billions at Stake
Fast forward to 2025, and AEW has evolved into the largest energy gathering on the continent. This year’s edition – scheduled for September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town – is expected to facilitate more than $25 billion in potential deals.
The transformation has been remarkable: African capital expenditure in the energy sector jumped 23% in 2024 to $47 billion, with projections climbing to $54 billion by 2030. Exploration spending alone exceeded $6 billion, while rig demand is forecast to rise to 46 rig years in 2025. Meanwhile, international eyes are turning toward the continent’s natural gas reserves, particularly in Nigeria, Mozambique, Mauritania, Senegal, and Tanzania, as the global energy landscape seeks new reliable sources.
“Africa is not only rich with resources but with opportunities,” Ayuk says. “Gas will be central to electrifying Africa, driving socio-economic growth, and ensuring a just transition.”
Key financing breakthroughs have been critical to this surge. The $5 billion Africa Energy Bank, spearheaded by APPO and Afreximbank, aims to close the funding gap left by retreating Western financiers. Likewise, the $100 million China-Africa energy fund, developed with Tima Networks, promises to back both fossil fuel and renewable projects. Add to this the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s $4.7 billion loan to Mozambique LNG, and the momentum becomes unmistakable.
“These are not abstract commitments – they’re real money, moving into real projects,” Ayuk stresses. Beyond figures, it’s about confidence: companies and governments are now taking Africa seriously as a reliable, competitive energy player.
From small beginnings in Cape Town, what started as a bold gamble has become a continental showcase, blending high-stakes deals with the lived ambition of a continent determined to shape its energy future. In every corridor of AEW, you can feel the pulse of possibility – billions in play, billions at stake, and a story still being written.
Diplomacy, Politics, and the Push for Sovereignty
Behind the billions lies a deeper ideological battle. For Ayuk and the AEC, the issue isn’t just about drilling wells or signing MOUs; it’s about Africa’s sovereign right to develop its resources on its own terms.
“Drill, baby drill. Invest, baby invest,” Ayuk told audiences in Suriname, London, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and China during a whirlwind of global engagements. The message is deliberately provocative, a counterweight to what he sees as paternalistic climate rhetoric from some in the West.
Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, put it bluntly during AEW 2021: “It is unfathomable that I will go to Houston or Dubai to discuss problems about electricity in Africa because they will not understand. Africa is the least polluter.”
This insistence on localizing Africa’s energy debate has shaped AEW’s identity. It’s not just an exhibition floor; it’s a forum where African ministers, CEOs, financiers, and innovators sit at the same table, often hammering out positions ahead of global forums like COP27 and COP28.
The political climate is also shifting. Governments from Nigeria to Djibouti have rolled out reforms to improve ease of doing business in energy, a trend Ayuk credits for attracting fresh capital. “Political will is Africa’s biggest renewable resource,” he quips. “When leaders create enabling environments, investment follows.”
From Cape Town to the World
AEW’s rise mirrors a broader recalibration of Africa’s role in the global energy conversation. It has become the annual moment when Africa presents not just its resources, but its vision for the future: a hybrid model blending oil, gas, renewables, and new technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture.
In 2025, AEW will debut the National Oil Company and International Oil Company Forum, designed to spark joint ventures, technology transfers, and regional integration. The event will also host panels on innovative financing – introducing African stakeholders to nontraditional capital sources and showcasing case studies from recent successes.
The scope is ambitious. Alongside the business of signing deals, AEW has evolved into a networking juggernaut. Side events bring together energy ministers and start-up founders; deal rooms hum with last-minute negotiations; and industry veterans swap war stories over Cape Town sunsets.
But Ayuk is quick to note the stakes are higher than ever. “Making energy poverty history by 2030 is not just a slogan; it’s a necessity,” he says. “Without affordable, reliable energy, Africa cannot industrialize, cannot create jobs, cannot compete.”
The AEC’s international footprint continues to expand, with high-profile events planned in Suriname, London, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and China in the first quarter alone. Each is an opportunity to “reframe the narrative” and secure allies.
It’s a far cry from the skepticism of 2021. Then, the idea of hosting Africa’s biggest energy event on African soil seemed audacious. Today, it’s the epicenter of a movement – one that blends the pragmatism of resource development with the urgency of economic transformation.
“We are not just talking about fossil fuels,” Ayuk reminds his critics. “We’re embracing renewables and innovative technologies that will power our future. But we’re doing it the African way – on our terms, with our resources, for our people.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
