Racing Against the Energy Transition Clock
NJ Ayuk’s clarion call at the NIEC in April 2025 to produce hydrocarbons rapidly and empower local economies has ignited a continent-wide surge, with Africa projected to attract $43 billion in oil and gas investments in 2025, driven significantly by West Africa’s ambition to capitalize on its resources before global demand peaks Namibia is a prime example, leveraging its Orange Basin, where over 11 billion barrels have been discovered since 2022. Galp Energia’s 2025 Mopane- 1A well confirmed light oil and gas condensate, while Saipem’s Santorini drillship targets further reservoirs.
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare’s emphasis on local content at NIEC aligns with Ayuk’s vision, ensuring that rapid drilling benefits Namibians. Mozambique is equally fervent, building on its vast gas reserves. At a February 2025 round table with the African Energy Chamber, Ayuk urged the country to develop its resources unapologetically, rejecting external pressures to abandon fossil fuels. Projects like Coral Sul FLNG are operational, and new exploration is planned, positioning Mozambique as a gas hub that empowers local communities. Libya is also seizing the moment, launching its first upstream bidding round in 18 years in March 2025, offering 22 blocks to revive its conflict-battered oil sector.
Algeria and Egypt are not far behind, with Algeria offering six onshore blocks and Egypt announcing 12 exploration blocks, both aiming to bolster their energy sectors amid a projected 3.3% annual growth in African gas demand through 2050. Angola, a regional powerhouse, is expanding its influence with plans to offer 10 offshore blocks in 2025, building on its role as a key crude supplier, including to Ghana’s Sentuo Refinery. These efforts across Namibia, Mozambique, Libya, Algeria, and Angola reflect a unified drive, inspired by Ayuk’s insistence on rapid production to meet Africa’s economic needs, mirroring Ghana’s leadership in turning rhetoric into action through new wells, investments, and regional trade.
