Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Managing Director Joins MSGBC 2025 as Nation Seeks New Upstream Partners
Baboucarr Njie, Managing Director of the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), will speak at the upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2025 Conference and Exhibition, taking place December 8-10 in Dakar, Senegal. Njie’s participation comes as the country seeks to advance frontier exploration (https://apo-opa.co/49fLBKn) and is expected to strengthen discussions around MSGBC upstream investment opportunities – from seismic data acquisition to frontier drilling to cross-border collaboration and petroleum distribution.
As a frontier oil and gas market situated in close proximity to regional discoveries, The Gambia is promoting exploration across its offshore basins. Most notably, the country lies south of the Sangomar Basin, home to the Sangomar oilfield development which began operations in June 2024. With a capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, the project is a testament to the viability of large-scale oil projects in the region. While it remains unproven whether the Sangomar Basin transcends the border into The Gambia, enhanced geological surveys could reveal the extent of the basin, thereby supporting new exploration campaigns in The Gambia.
To determine the country’s offshore potential, various drilling campaigns have been launched in recent years. Independent oil and gas company FAR (https://apo-opa.co/48fjEjV) drilled the Bambo-1 prospect in 2021, following by a sidetrack well (Bambo-1ST1). The drilling showed indications of oil shows, confirming an oil source is present in the area. However, subsequent analysis determined that the prospect was not commercial. The company also completed regional and detailed subsurface studies within the broader A2 and A5 blocks. An agreement was also signed in 2023 with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, involving geological studies, seismic data analysis and potential drilling. Looking ahead, the country is seeking new partners to invest in exploration prospects. Currently, eight offshore blocks and two onshore are available for investment, with approximately 80% of offshore data coverage acquired.
Beyond exploration, regional collaboration has become a cornerstone of the GNPC’s development strategy, with the corporation establishing close ties with West African oil and gas producers in recent months. In June 2025, The Gambia signed 14 bilateral agreements with Mauritania (https://apo-opa.co/47yVPnW), aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, hydrocarbons, mining, water and trade. A trade agreement was also signed with Guinea-Bissau. Under efforts to enhance capacity building, the GNPC has strengthened ties with regional counterparts. A knowledge-exchange partnership with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has been established, whereby Gambian staff were trained in Ghana. Senior officials from Ghana also conducted a lecture series in 2024 in The Gambia in support of the company’s 2024/2025 work program.
As the premier event for the region’s energy sector, MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2025 offers a timely platform for The Gambia to not only strengthen regional collaboration but advance its exploration agenda through engagement with international operators and investors. Njie’s participation is expected to create new avenues for potential partners seeking in-roads into the country’s upstream sector, supporting future investments across the country’s energy value chain.
“The Gambia’s upstream ambitions signal a new chapter for frontier exploration in West Africa. GNPC’s engagement at MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2025 reflects the country’s drive to attract strategic partners, advance offshore exploration and strengthen regional collaboration in unlocking shared prosperity across the MSGBC basin,” stated Sandra Jeque, Project Director, Energy Capital&Power.
Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.MSGBCOilGasAndPower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2025 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
