In The Spotlight
Since the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the oil industry has been forced to reckon with one of the most challenging operating environments in decades
With supply now disrupted on two fronts – the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea – crude prices have hit US$100 in recent months as markets react to every military strike and diplomatic tweet.
For Africa, the Red Sea disruption brings its own costs. UNCTAD previously found that diversions around the Cape of Good Hope add more than ten days to delivery times on average, which strains companies that operate with limited inventories. Disruption-related surcharges are also pushing up landed costs at Africa’s Indian Ocean ports, according to an analysis by Bloomsbury Intelligence and Security Institute (BISI).
Refiners and producers are grappling with supply-chain bottlenecks, higher freight costs, and growing signs of demand erosion as sustained high energy prices dampen spending.
The industry is no stranger to complex global supply chains. But the new challenge requires companies to adapt to a market where both supply and demand can pivot with speed.
Unpredictable times
In this operating environment, every piece of information counts – across suppliers, logistics providers, operations teams and customers.
By knitting together a comprehensive minute-by-minute operational snapshot of the global energy landscape, companies can predict, analyze and react to volatile energy conditions with optimal precision.
In the five months since the start of the conflict, Brent crude has traded in a range from roughly 6 percent below its pre-war level to almost 50 per cent above it. This geopolitical landscape creates complex challenges for producers and refiners.
Equally, periods of volatility create significant commercial openings for companies that can respond faster than the market. A sudden spike in crude prices can all create a short-lived window for higher margins.
Companies operating from connected data can rapidly adjust production plans and redirect cargoes, turning market turbulence into a source of competitive advantage.
Building resilience and agility
Historically, energy companies have been primarily motivated by efficiency and cost margins. While those objectives still stand, organizations are increasingly finding that resilience and agility are key performance differentiators.
Companies become more resilient when they operate from a common view of data and performance. To use a boating analogy, we're all navigating the same storm. Some organizations have cargo ships, others have yachts. The conditions are the same for everyone – what differs is how well-equipped each vessel is to withstand rough seas.
Connected operational systems help organizations build a stronger boat. Increasingly, that means looking beyond any single company and to every entity who touches the barrel.
Seeing the big picture
In what has been described by experts as the ‘age of permacrisis’, supply shocks often overlap or occur simultaneously. For example, disruption in Hormuz, renewed Red Sea attacks, or tighter sanctions on Russian exports can affect crude availability and shipping routes within hours – and sometimes all at once.
Refineries process blends and crude slates sourced from multiple regions, each with distinct physical properties and refining characteristics. Texas crude behaves differently from Saudi crude. Saudi crude behaves differently from Abu Dhabi crude. Venezuelan crude behaves differently again.
Historically, engineering teams would manually run a limited number of operational scenarios. Now connected AI systems can run thousands of crude blend combinations simultaneously while incorporating crude prices, refined product prices, electricity costs, operational constraints and regional market demand – determining in near real-time exactly which combination will generate the highest profitability possible.
Connection in action
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) offers an example of connected operations in practice. The energy giant has combined data from production assets, pipelines, terminals and operations teams into a shared operational environment.
The platform integrates more than 10 million data tags across 120-plus dashboards, giving decision-makers a single operational view of the business. The system generates US$60-US$100mn in savings through optimized operations across 14 subsidiaries, enabling the company to respond faster when market conditions or supply chains shift.
In a broader sense, the highest-performing organisations globally are being recognised not just for productivity, but for supply chain resilience and their ability to connect data across entire value chains.
According to McKinsey analysis of the World Economic Forum Global Lighthouse Network, organisations that digitally connect suppliers, operations and customers experienced eight times less revenue shock following the pandemic than their peers.
Those connected value chains also achieved 50 percent faster new-product introduction by improving visibility and coordination across the network.
Digitising relationships
Industrial resilience is rapidly shifting from being an internal capability to a network capability. Competitive advantage is increasingly determined by how well producers, refiners, suppliers, logistics providers and technology partners operate from a common understanding of data and performance.
In the last decade, industrial companies prioritized digitizing assets. The next phase will see digitising relationships come to the forefront.
The article has been written by Khaled Salah, vice president – Africa, AVEVA
Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has just announced a staggering US$4.73bn net profit for the first nine months of 2026.
The global petroleum refining landscape is undergoing a monumental shift, driven by geopolitical volatility and the emergence of massive new downstream infrastructure in developing markets.
At the centre of this transformation is Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has just announced a staggering US$4.73bn net profit for the first nine months of 2026. This dramatic financial turnaround arrives precisely as the organisation asks investors for US$1.6bn in what is slated to be the largest initial public offering (IPO) in African history.
Global Supply Disruptions and the Refining Catalyst
Historically, West Africa has relied heavily on imported refined fuels from Europe, the United States, and the Middle East to meet its domestic energy requirements. However, recent geopolitical tensions, most notably the Iran war, have severely disrupted Middle Eastern refining operations and petroleum product exports.
These supply chain bottlenecks have sent global product margins sharply higher throughout the year, with a particularly intense spike in the profitability of diesel and jet fuel. Rather than falling victim to these shortages, newly commissioned infrastructure in West Africa has capitalised on the supply vacuum. By ramping up output, facilities in the region have begun exporting refined products directly into these global shortages, including significant jet fuel shipments successfully routed to Western Europe.
A Historic Financial Turnaround
Just a year ago, the Lagos-based mega-refinery was still absorbing heavy commissioning costs, posting a US$117.2mn loss during the same nine-month period. Today, the operational reality paints a drastically different picture. By successfully processing greater volumes of crude oil and capturing elevated refining margins on the global market, the company has transformed its balance sheet at an unprecedented pace.
The facility's fiscal transformation is underscored by several key performance metrics:
-
Revenue Growth: Total revenue more than doubled year-on-year, surging from US$9.19bn to an impressive US$22.48bn.
-
EBITDA Expansion: Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation skyrocketed to US$5.52bn, up from just US$627.6mn a year earlier.
-
Cash Flow Generation: Operating cash flow reached US$3.68bn through September, compared with a mere US$364.7mn previously.
-
Debt Reduction: The organisation finished the period with US$650.8mn in net cash, completely reversing the US$1.73bn in net debt it carried the previous year.
-
Liquidity: Total cash holdings for the enterprise have now reached a robust US$6.69bn.
Africa’s Largest Initial Public Offering
These exceptional financial figures have landed right in the middle of the refinery’s highly anticipated IPO. The company is actively seeking to raise US$1.6bn in a public offering that places an overall valuation on the refinery of approximately US$47bn.
The market response has been exceptionally strong. Initially scheduled to close on the 13th of October, the subscription period has been officially extended through the 27th of October. This two-week extension was necessitated after heavy and enthusiastic investor demand effectively overwhelmed several Nigerian investment platforms when the offering first opened to the public.
Securing Regional Independence and Future Expansion
The capital generated from the IPO is already earmarked partly for the facility's next ambitious expansion phase. While the 700,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery was already running near 660,000 bpd earlier this year—up from its original 650,000 bpd design—leadership has set a far higher target. By 2029, the company intends to double its total refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd. Once completed, this expansion would firmly position the Lagos complex among the very largest single-train refineries in the world.
Beyond the raw financial success, the strategic impact on the regional economy cannot be overstated. The facility has successfully and substantially cut West Africa’s historical dependence on imported fuel. Today, Nigerian product exports are increasingly displacing the millions of barrels that previously arrived via long-haul shipping routes. From navigating early commissioning hurdles to boasting billions in cash reserves and a line of eager investors, the enterprise has rapidly rewritten the narrative of African downstream energy production.
The Senegalese government has opened 104 oil and gas blocks to international investors, seeking new upstream exploration and production contracts to accelerate the development of its natural resources.
West Africa's hydrocarbon landscape is shifting rapidly towards large-scale acreage commercialisation, and Senegal is now positioning itself at the very forefront of this regional drive.
The Senegalese government has opened 104 oil and gas blocks to international investors, seeking new upstream exploration and production contracts to accelerate the development of its natural resources.
Announced by Energy and Petroleum Minister El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, the offering signals an aggressive push to draw foreign direct investment into the nation's energy sector while expanding domestic industrial capacity.
A Reorganised Acreage Landscape
The newly available assets stem from a major restructuring carried out earlier this year. In March 2026, Senegal reorganised its acreage into 113 distinct blocks, comprising 65 onshore and 48 offshore tracts. While Oil & Gas Middle East reported in September that 109 blocks were being marketed, the portfolio status has since crystallised:
- 104 blocks are actively open and available to international investors.
- 4 blocks are already held under existing petroleum contracts.
- 5 offshore blocks are currently assigned to Italian energy major Eni for technical evaluations.
Eni agreed to fund these technical assessments under a memorandum signed on the sidelines of Gastech. Crucially, the agreement functions strictly as a study framework rather than an upstream petroleum contract, conferring no automatic operational rights.
Addressing delegates in Cape Town, Diouf emphasised regulatory certainty, stating that the objective is to “show investors that Senegal remains the country it has always been: open, hospitable and respectful of international procedures.”
Fast-Tracking Yakaar-Teranga and Domestic Gas
Beyond newly delineated licensing blocks, Senegal is prioritising major offshore gas assets to anchor national electrification and industrialisation. The state is actively searching for commercial partners to advance the world-scale Yakaar-Teranga gas project alongside national oil company Petrosen.
Petrosen assumed complete operational control of the asset after Kosmos Energy withdrew in April. According to reporting by Ecofin Agency, the exit involved no financial compensation, leaving Petrosen’s leadership targeting initial commercial production between late 2028 and early 2029—a timetable viewed by several market analysts as optimistic.
The government views gas monetisation as an essential catalyst for broader economic transformation rather than a simple export play. As Diouf noted: “Our strategy is to build the value chain from the well to the factory, with gas at the heart of our industrial ambition.” Under this framework, Yakaar-Teranga will deliver feedstock for domestic power generation, industrial facilities such as fertiliser plants, and international liquefied natural gas markets.
Downstream Ambitions and Regional Integration
Senegal’s upstream momentum is matched by targeted downstream development intended to retain processing margins onshore. Diouf highlighted ongoing plans to construct a second domestic refinery dedicated to processing crude from the offshore Sangomar field, requiring an estimated capital investment of $2 billion to $3 billion (approximately AED 7.35 billion to AED 11.02 billion).
On 23 September in New York, the Société Africaine de Raffinage (SAR) signed a memorandum with Turkish contractor Yamata to develop the proposed four-million-tonne-per-annum refining facility. Similar to Eni’s offshore arrangement, reports have noted that this document remains a preliminary memorandum rather than a fully binding commercial contract.
Domestic integration and capacity building remain central conditions for incoming capital. Diouf explicitly urged new entrants to incorporate domestic suppliers and local labour into their operations from project inception. “Capital must earn a return. Senegal must gain a stronger economy. The partnership we seek must serve both purposes,” he affirmed.
Concurrently, Dakar is championing deeper regional collaboration across the MSGBC basin. Senegal intends to broaden the current five-nation alliance—comprising Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea—into a larger regional energy coalition, establishing West Africa as a unified, competitive energy frontier.
Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has just announced a staggering US$4.73bn net profit for the first nine months of 2026.
The global petroleum refining landscape is undergoing a monumental shift, driven by geopolitical volatility and the emergence of massive new downstream infrastructure in developing markets.
At the centre of this transformation is Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has just announced a staggering US$4.73bn net profit for the first nine months of 2026. This dramatic financial turnaround arrives precisely as the organisation asks investors for US$1.6bn in what is slated to be the largest initial public offering (IPO) in African history.
Global Supply Disruptions and the Refining Catalyst
Historically, West Africa has relied heavily on imported refined fuels from Europe, the United States, and the Middle East to meet its domestic energy requirements. However, recent geopolitical tensions, most notably the Iran war, have severely disrupted Middle Eastern refining operations and petroleum product exports.
These supply chain bottlenecks have sent global product margins sharply higher throughout the year, with a particularly intense spike in the profitability of diesel and jet fuel. Rather than falling victim to these shortages, newly commissioned infrastructure in West Africa has capitalised on the supply vacuum. By ramping up output, facilities in the region have begun exporting refined products directly into these global shortages, including significant jet fuel shipments successfully routed to Western Europe.
A Historic Financial Turnaround
Just a year ago, the Lagos-based mega-refinery was still absorbing heavy commissioning costs, posting a US$117.2mn loss during the same nine-month period. Today, the operational reality paints a drastically different picture. By successfully processing greater volumes of crude oil and capturing elevated refining margins on the global market, the company has transformed its balance sheet at an unprecedented pace.
The facility's fiscal transformation is underscored by several key performance metrics:
-
Revenue Growth: Total revenue more than doubled year-on-year, surging from US$9.19bn to an impressive US$22.48bn.
-
EBITDA Expansion: Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation skyrocketed to US$5.52bn, up from just US$627.6mn a year earlier.
-
Cash Flow Generation: Operating cash flow reached US$3.68bn through September, compared with a mere US$364.7mn previously.
-
Debt Reduction: The organisation finished the period with US$650.8mn in net cash, completely reversing the US$1.73bn in net debt it carried the previous year.
-
Liquidity: Total cash holdings for the enterprise have now reached a robust US$6.69bn.
Africa’s Largest Initial Public Offering
These exceptional financial figures have landed right in the middle of the refinery’s highly anticipated IPO. The company is actively seeking to raise US$1.6bn in a public offering that places an overall valuation on the refinery of approximately US$47bn.
The market response has been exceptionally strong. Initially scheduled to close on the 13th of October, the subscription period has been officially extended through the 27th of October. This two-week extension was necessitated after heavy and enthusiastic investor demand effectively overwhelmed several Nigerian investment platforms when the offering first opened to the public.
Securing Regional Independence and Future Expansion
The capital generated from the IPO is already earmarked partly for the facility's next ambitious expansion phase. While the 700,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery was already running near 660,000 bpd earlier this year—up from its original 650,000 bpd design—leadership has set a far higher target. By 2029, the company intends to double its total refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd. Once completed, this expansion would firmly position the Lagos complex among the very largest single-train refineries in the world.
Beyond the raw financial success, the strategic impact on the regional economy cannot be overstated. The facility has successfully and substantially cut West Africa’s historical dependence on imported fuel. Today, Nigerian product exports are increasingly displacing the millions of barrels that previously arrived via long-haul shipping routes. From navigating early commissioning hurdles to boasting billions in cash reserves and a line of eager investors, the enterprise has rapidly rewritten the narrative of African downstream energy production.
Energy data and intelligence provider, TGS, has partnered with Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), to initiate a large-scale 2D seismic reimaging campaign, the EGY-2DRE2026 project
The survey will span across 34,000 kms offshore Egypt, which will be further integrated to the GeoStreamer 2016, 2018 and 2023 surveys. The compilation will comprise other available conventional 2D data as well, building single and consistent regional framework for interested operators to refer to across the offshore basins. The vast and insightful dataset will be fed into an advanced velocity model building and pre-stack depth migration workflow, including TGS' proprietary DM-eFWI technology, to generate credible images of pre-, intra- and post-Messinian salt intervals in high definition.
The reimaged dataset that spans offshore Nile Delta, Herodotus Basin, and wider Eastern Mediterranean Basin will support clients to better resolve these intervals, giving a sharper, basin-wide structural framework to support prospect identification and maturation. This will play a significant role in decision making for operators to channelise exploration budgets in the right direction ahead of upcoming licensing rounds.
To support resource development, TGS has lately been taking up region-specific projects in Africa that aligns with a rising global demand for basin-wide reimaging and data integration across frontier and mature basins globally.
Final products for a priority subset of 2D lines are scheduled for delivery in Q2 2027, with the remaining full project scheduled for completion in Q1 2028.
"EGY-2DRE2026 will give our customers a modern, regionally consistent view of a basin that has historically been difficult to image beneath its complex Messinian section," said David Hajovsky, Executive Vice President, Multi-Client at TGS. "By combining our latest imaging technology with the depth and breadth of our existing coverage, we're able to de-risk exploration decisions and support our customers as they evaluate future opportunities in this highly prospective part of the Egyptian offshore."
The project is supported by industry funding.
SLB’s OneSubsea joint venture has secured a subsea production systems contract from ExxonMobil Moçambique, Limitada, representing the Area 4 consortium (comprising ENH, CNPC, ENI, KOGAS, and XRG)
The agreement marks a major step forward for the initial phase of Mozambique’s offshore Rovuma LNG development.
Under the terms of the agreement, SLB OneSubsea will handle the engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and installation of subsea trees, manifolds, umbilicals, and control systems tailored for high-efficiency deepwater operation.
"This award reflects our ability to deliver integrated subsea solutions that help customers accelerate development and maximize value from deepwater resources," said Mads Hjelmeland, chief executive officer, SLB OneSubsea. "The Rovuma project represents a significant opportunity for Mozambique’s growing LNG sector, and we look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with ExxonMobil operations in Africa, bringing our proven technology and expertise to this important phase of the development and beyond."
To assist regional operations and support the project, SLB OneSubsea plans to build a dedicated services facility in Mozambique. This hub is expected to boost local supply chains while generating regional job and training opportunities.
Previously, the Eni-led Mozambique Rovuma Venture signed a significant contract with Technip Energies, JGC and Samsung Heavy Industries to secure their ongoing project delivery services for the long term on the Coral Norte Floating Liquefied Natural Gas project offshore Mozambique.
The giant Ntorya gas field development in Tanzania is anticipated to deliver vital domestic energy supplies, alleviate local energy poverty, and drive long-term industrial and economic growth for the country
Tanzanian government authorities have recognised the urgency of the project's advancement and to make sure there is no delay, an optimised timetable has been established in consultation with the joint venture partners involved in the field's development. Designed with an aim to achieve first gas production by December, the packed schedule includes critical well workovers, testing, and accelerated drilling. Fully funded field operations and pipeline infrastructure integration will prepare the site for production generation.
Aminex has reached an agreement on the sequencing and implementation of the Ntorya gas development following a meeting convened by the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy
Key stakeholders convene
Representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), ARA Petroleum Tanzania Limited (APT), the operator of the Ruvuma PSA, and Aminex's wholly owned subsidiary, Ndovu Resources Limited (Ndovu) were present at the meeting.
While the government did not approve the operator's proposal to extend and delay the project timetable, it did confirm a revised implementation schedule with all the parties involved. This schedule comprises workover of the Ntorya-1 well (NT-1) in October, the testing of the Ntorya-2 well (NT-2) in November and the drilling of a newly planned NT-Central well (NT-C) in December.
First gas from NT-1 and NT-2 is targeted for December. Drilling of the Chikumbi-1 well (CH-1) is to proceed after NT-C is drilled. Following the change of management at ARA Petroleum LLC and a technical reappraisal of the Ntorya project, APT had proposed bringing forward NT-C, previously planned as a development well for a later phase of field development, in place of CH-1, with the drilling of CH-1 deferred. The revised implementation schedule plans to drill the NT-C first, followed by the drilling of CH-1.
It was also confirmed at the meeting that the Ntorya to Madimba pipeline will be completed in time to receive first gas from the Ntorya field in December 2026.
APT confirmed to the parties that it had all necessary funds to carry out the revised programme for the development of the Ntorya field.
The parties agreed that APT should execute the planned activities in accordance with the revised implementation schedule and without unnecessary delay. The revised programme will now be progressed through the formal Joint Venture approval process in accordance with the Joint Operating Agreement.
Economic impact of the project
Charles Santos, executive chairman of Aminex, said, "I would like to thank Dr James Mataragio, Permanent Secretary for Petroleum at the Ministry of Energy, for convening the meeting last week and for the constructive approach taken by all parties. Our focus now is on working together to implement the agreed programme and deliver first gas without further delay.
"The revised implementation programme establishes clear near-term operational milestones, targets first gas for December 2026 and provides for the drilling of a newly planned well, NT-Central, while ensuring that the CH-1 well is also drilled.
"Together, these activities form just the beginning of the development of the giant Ntorya field which is expected to deliver large volumes of gas supplies to Tanzanians, helping alleviate energy poverty, boost industrial development and fuel Tanzania's economic growth."
Africa’s refining landscape is entering one of its most consequential periods in decades
Across the continent, governments and investors are pursuing sharply different paths. While some are building new mega refineries, others are rehabilitating ageing assets, and several have shut down or abandoned refining altogether. The result is a fragmented energy security map in which a handful of states are moving toward product independence while others are becoming more vulnerable to global supply shocks.
This divergence raises a central question for Africa’s energy future: how will these refinery outcomes reshape regional product flows, commercial stability and long-term energy security?
Refinery revival model in Nigeria
No country illustrates the scale of Africa’s refining ambitions more clearly than Nigeria. After decades of dependence on imported refined products, the country is now positioned to become a regional product hub.
The Dangote effect
The Dangote Refinery -- Africa’s largest -- marks a structural shift in West Africa’s energy landscape. Designed to process hundreds of thousands of barrels per day, it has the potential to:
∙ Significantly reduce Nigeria’s import bill
∙ Stabilise domestic fuel supply
∙ Create export opportunities to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon and beyond
∙ Ease pressure on foreign exchange markets
Even partial operationalisation has already altered expectations across the region.
Port Harcourt rehabilitation
Alongside Dangote, the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery signals a renewed commitment to restoring legacy capacity. While timelines have shifted, the project remains symbolically and strategically important. If successful, it will complement Dangote by providing additional domestic supply and reducing reliance on imported products.
Strategic impact
Nigeria is moving from a position of chronic import dependence toward potential net exporter status. This shift could reshape West African product flows and strengthen regional energy security -- provided operational stability is achieved.
Incremental expansion and rehabilitation in Angola
Angola represents a quieter but equally important refinery story. As one of Africa’s major crude producers, its reliance on imported refined products has long been a structural contradiction.
Upgrading existing capacity
Angola has invested in upgrading its existing refining infrastructure to improve efficiency and expand output. These efforts aim to reduce import dependence and stabilise domestic supply.
New projects in development
The government has also advanced plans for new refining capacity, seeking to diversify its downstream sector and capture more value domestically.
Strategic impact
Angola’s incremental approach is gradually strengthening its energy security. While not transformative on the scale of Nigeria, it represents a steady move toward greater self sufficiency and reduced exposure to global price volatility.
Refineries closing in South Africa
South Africa offers a stark contrast. Once home to several major refineries, the country has seen its domestic refining capacity collapse.
Import dependency
By 2022–2023, all major crude refineries -- including Sapref, Enref and PetroSA’s Mossel Bay plant -- were shut or mothballed. The result is a country of South Africa’s economic size relying almost entirely on imported refined products.
Economic and infrastructure consequences
The impact has been significant:
∙ Aviation fuel shortages
∙ Bitumen shortages affecting construction
∙ Price volatility across petrol and diesel markets
∙ Heightened vulnerability to global shipping disruptions, including Red Sea tensions
Strategic impact
South Africa’s experience underscores the risks of losing domestic refining capacity. It highlights why refinery revival efforts elsewhere in Africa carry strategic weight.
Uganda's refinery story
Uganda provides a different kind of refinery story -- one shaped by geopolitics, financing pressures and environmental concerns.
The abandoned Lake Albert refinery
Uganda initially planned a refinery in the Lake Albert region to process its crude domestically. Despite years of negotiation, the project stalled due to:
∙ Financing challenges
∙ Investor withdrawal
- Geopolitical pressures
- Shifting commercial priorities
Pivot to the EACOP pipeline
Instead of a refinery, Uganda pivoted to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) through Tanzania. The pipeline is:
∙ More costly financially
- More environmentally sensitive
- Socially disruptive with displacement and resettlement challenges
- Still leaving Uganda dependent on imported refined products
Strategic impact
Uganda’s case shows how refinery failure can lead to long-term energy insecurity. It also illustrates how geopolitical and financial dynamics shape infrastructure outcomes across Africa.
Regional energy security
The combined effect of these refinery trajectories is a reshaped continental energy landscape.
West Africa
Nigeria’s refinery revival could stabilise regional product supply and reduce reliance on European imports. If successful, it may become the anchor of West Africa’s product market.
Southern Africa
South Africa’s refinery collapse has created regional vulnerability, with neighbouring states exposed to supply disruptions and price swings.
East Africa
Uganda’s pipeline strategy increases crude export potential but does not address product security. Kenya’s earlier refinery closure adds to regional import dependence.
North Africa
Countries like Egypt, Algeria and Morocco continue to upgrade and expand refining capacity, maintaining a more stable downstream environment.
Commercial, geopolitical and social implications
Commercial
∙ Domestic refining reduces import bills
∙ FX pressures ease when product imports decline
- Pricing reforms become more politically manageable
- Investment flows shift toward downstream infrastructure
Geopolitical
- International investors from the West, Middle East and China shape project outcomes
- Regional competition for product markets intensifies
- Maritime security risks influence supply chains
Social and environmental
- Refinery projects create employment and industrial development
- Pipeline projects raise displacement and environmental concerns
- Communities experience both benefits and burdens of energy infrastructure
Africa’s refining future
Africa’s refining landscape is diverging, not converging. Some states are building resilience through new or rehabilitated refineries, while others are becoming more dependent on imported products. The next decade will determine whether the continent emerges as a regional refining hub or remains vulnerable to external supply shocks.
What is clear is that refinery decisions made today will shape Africa’s energy sovereignty for decades to come.
The article has been written by Elijah Paul RukidiMpuuga, FCIArb (UK), founder and principal, Equitas Dispute Resolution Group, LLC
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, ADIPEC 2026 will take place in Abu Dhabi from 2 to 5 November 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi
The event will mobilise investment in resilient and intelligent energy systems, with confirmed participation from ministers, CEOs and senior leaders across energy, technology, finance and industry.
The event will convene the global energy industry in Abu Dhabi as the world enters a new era of rising energy demand, geopolitical volatility, infrastructure constraints and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), underscoring the critical importance of energy security to economic stability and growth.
As the world's largest energy conference and exhibition, and drawing on the UAE's position as a reliable energy supplier, long-term investment partner and global hub for technology and industry, ADIPEC 2026 will bring together policymakers, producers, investors, technology leaders and customers to turn shared priorities into practical action.
Across its conferences and exhibition, participants will align priorities, advance commercial partnerships and accelerate the projects and solutions needed to support secure, reliable and affordable energy supplies and long-term growth.
Among the early confirmed speakers for ADIPEC 2026 are: His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, UAE; His Excellency Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt; His Excellency Saleh Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Rt. Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister for State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Nigeria; Wael Sawan, CEO, Shell; Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman & CEO, TotalEnergies; Meg O'Neill, CEO, bp; Richard Jackson, President and CEO, Oxy; Claudio Descalzi, CEO, ENI; Christian Bruch, President and CEO, Siemens Energy; Wang Yuetao, Chairman, Zhenhua Oil; Olivier Le Peuch, CEO, SLB; Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes; Horacio Marín, Chairman of the Board and CEO, YPF; Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO, World Energy Council; Aliko Dangote, President & CEO, Dangote Group; Hunter Hunt, Chairman and CEO, Hunt Energy Holdings; Stuart Bradie, Chair of the Board, President and CEO, KBR; Dr Olivier Oullier, CEO and Co-founder, Inclusive Brains; and Prof. Haruhiko Ando, CEO, Japan Cooperation Center for Petroleum and Sustainable Energy.
Abdulmunim Al Kindy, Chairman of ADIPEC 2026, said, “Recent volatility has reaffirmed a simple truth: energy security is economic stability. As demand rises and AI transforms both the energy sector and the economies it powers, the world must invest ahead of demand, diversify supply and strengthen the infrastructure, technology and capabilities that keep energy moving.
“ADIPEC 2026 will focus on what the next energy system needs most: growth, reliability, intelligence and delivery. By bringing together policy, capital, technology and industry in Abu Dhabi, we will help advance the investments, projects and partnerships required to provide more energy, more securely and affordably, while supporting global economic growth.”
New for 2026, ADIPEC's Strategic Conference has been redesigned around the forces reshaping global energy, from rising demand and energy security to infrastructure, investment, AI, industrial execution and workforce capability.
Across 11 programmes and more than 380 sessions, ministers, CEOs, investors, policymakers and technology leaders will examine the decisions, partnerships and capital needed to expand energy supply, accelerate infrastructure delivery and strengthen long-term system performance.
New Strategic Conference programmes include Energy Security & Resilience; Policy, Regulation & Governance; Upstream; Clean Power, Molecules & Carbon Management; Grids, Infrastructure & Industrial Execution, and Workforce & Skills.
Existing programmes have also been updated to reflect the priorities shaping energy's next phase, including AI, Digital & Technology Innovation and Downstream, Chemicals & Industrial Value Chains.
The 11 Strategic Conference programmes are complemented by the Technical Conference, with its SPE Technical and Downstream Technical programmes, which together represent the world's largest gathering of technical energy engineers and experts to transform strategy into operational delivery.
Christopher Hudson, President, dmg events (organisers of ADIPEC), said, “As the global energy landscape continues to evolve, ADIPEC's role as a platform for dialogue, collaboration and commercial engagement has never been more important. Rising energy demand, supply constraints and rapid technological advancement underscore the need to bring industry leaders together to align priorities, mobilise investment and accelerate the projects and technologies required to support long-term energy security and economic growth.
“The strong early momentum behind ADIPEC 2026 reflects the industry's recognition of both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency for action. By convening policymakers, investors, technology leaders and energy producers in Abu Dhabi, ADIPEC will help strengthen partnerships, advance innovation and support the delivery of the secure, reliable and affordable energy systems the world needs.”
The ADIPEC Exhibition will serve as a global marketplace where connections translate into commercial outcomes. In 2025, the event generated US$53 billion in value through more than 49,000 deals, demonstrating its role in advancing investment, partnerships and project delivery.
With more than 2,250 companies already confirmed to participate – including 54 NOCs, IOCs, NECs and IECs – across 16 halls and 30 country pavilions, ADIPEC 2026 is set to be one of the most influential gatherings in the global energy industry, bringing together the technologies, collaboration and investment opportunities shaping the future of energy. Four specialised zones will connect market-ready technologies and solutions with customers, investors and partners, helping move projects from opportunity to execution.
