The Energy Republic February - March Edition 2023

SAIPEC 2023 STORIES
"The terms of the signed MoUs
men oned, focus strongly on
knowledge-sharing and capacitybuilding,
which aims to build,
integrate and deploy skills to address
the technical challenges faced across
Africa's Oil and Gas Industry through
training, research, and domes ca on
of technology in the sub-region.
"We have been able to spread our
tentacles throughout Sub-Sahara
Africa, having realized that we need
to galvanize the same success story
we have recorded in deepening local
content na onally to a regional scale.
For so long, service providers have
operated on their own and met with
s o m a n y c h a l l e n g e s i n t h e i r
opera ons, especially when the
scene was predominantly occupied
by Interna onal Oil Companies
(IOCs).
"We will con nue to cover more
grounds, even though I must say here
that it is not intended to be a race. We
are rather mindful of making a
meaningful and las ng impact in
helping our neighbors get it right in
developing and implemen ng their
respec ve Local Content Policies,
using Nigeria's successful roadmap,
executed by the NCDMB, as a case
study," PETAN Chairman explained.
Speaking on SAIPEC's emergence as
the only energy, oil, and gas event
held in partnership with the en re
Sub-Saharan African petroleum
industry, Odinuwe stated that PETAN
created SAIPEC as an impac ul and
informa ve pla orm for the Sub-
Saharan African oil and gas industry
with a strong focus on crea ng
awareness for collabora on within
the African market.
However, he stressed that part of the
ways to harness and sustain the sub-
Sahara energy market is to con nue
reaching out to other African
c o u n t r i e s a n d g o v e r n m e n t
parastatals, including associa ons for
partnerships and support.
Odinuwe who emphasized the need
for collabora on in his opening
remark at the 7th edi on of the Sub-
S a h a ra n A f r i c a I n t e r n a o n a l
Petroleum Exhibi on and Conference
(SAIPEC) 2023 held in Lagos recently,
PETAN Chairman, Nicolas Odinuwe
said that SAIPEC is a pla orm needed for the
actualiza on of regional collabora on.
Commen ng on the theme for this year's SAIPEC
2023, tled: 'Harnessing A Sustainable African
Energy Industry Through Partnerships', Odinuwe
added that: "SAIPEC is one of the premier annual
energy conferences within the sub-Sahara Africa,
bringing together hundreds of local and
interna onal companies including technology
providers and regulators to inform on domes c
and interna onal energy sector developments,
business transac ons and cross border
collabora ons. Energy is core to the economies of
the 55 member states that cons tute Africa.
"The theme for this 7th edi on has been
deliberately chosen and is relevant as the global
energy market is at a cri cal point and for
hydrocarbon-rich countries in sub-Sahara Africa
to drive home that need for AFCTA / African local
content framework full implementa on -
considering the threat of funding squeeze by non-
African donor agencies and the move to confine
our hydrocarbon to a museum. Remember, our
efforts to achieve energy security and energy
affordability, will con nually be undermined if we
do nothing.
"As we look to the future, we face significant
challenges in the ways energy is produced and
consumed, including the effects of geopoli cal
instability, poverty and energy poverty, economic
uncertain es, and the climate songs.
"As private sector & Service companies, we must
con nually commit to finding collabora ve
innova ve solu ons and work with our
stakeholders and partners to ensure sustainable
and secure energy solu ons & supply".
Interes ngly, the advent of the African
Con nental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has
created the world’s largest free trade area by
integra ng 1.3 billion people across 54 African
countries, with the objec ve of tapping into a
combined Gross Domes c Product (GDP) of over
$3 trillion.
The African Con nental Free Trade Agreement
(AfCFTA) has also been iden fied as one cri cal
legal framework that can be leveraged to achieve
a collabora ve local content strategy in Africa.
The main objec ves of the strategy are to explore
ways to break down barriers, promote crossborder
collabora on amongst governments and
businesses, provide peer review mechanisms,
and share experiences and ideas on industry
sustainability and growth.
"With AFCFTA, African Union should consider a
unified/ integrated African cer fica on/standard
as prac ced in America, European Union, Britain,
etc.
"We should seriously consider elimina ng
mul ple cer fica ons domiciled outside our
sphere and the associated huge foreign exchange
impact. (An indirect and con nued colonial
ves ge). These ins tu ons outside Africa
(supported by their governments) have made our
respec ve standardiza on agencies confined to
j u s t n a m e s . T h e T W F p e r s o n n e l
cer fica ons/skill passport is a step in the right
direc on.
"Human Capacity Development is very
fundamental in the growth of any economy and
local content. As technology is evolving, it is
important to constantly acquire new knowledge
and skills through training and retraining," PETAN
Chairman concluded.
SAIPEC is the premier annual energy conference
within the sub-Sahara Africa, bringing together
hundreds of local and interna onal companies
including technology providers and regulators to
inform on domes c and interna onal energy
sector developments, business transac ons and
cross border collabora ons.
The next edi on of SAIPEC will be held from 20-22
February 2024 at Eko Conven on Center, Lagos,
Nigeria.
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THE ENERGY REPUBLIC I SPECIAL EDITION