Energy

Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), is set to deliver a keynote address at the inaugural Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) 2025, taking place on March 25-26 in Brazzaville.

This key event will focus on the significant role of hydrocarbons in enhancing energy security and fostering economic growth in Central Africa.

The participation of Ibrahim highlights the Republic of Congo’s emergence as a major player in Africa’s oil and gas sector. His presence at the forum is expected to facilitate collaboration between APPO member countries, international oil corporations, and junior exploration firms.

Further emphasizing Congo’s growing influence, Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua recently assumed the alternate presidency of APPO, positioning the nation as a leader in advancing Africa’s energy objectives.

CEIF 2025 promises to be a vital gathering of global investors and local entities, aimed at identifying energy and infrastructure opportunities regionally and nationally.

The forum will delve into innovative gas-to-power projects and provide updates on ongoing expansions within the country’s energy landscape.

Ibrahim is anticipated to discuss APPO’s flagship projects, notably the Africa Energy Bank, which aims to revolutionize financing for oil and gas initiatives across the continent. With an initial capital framework of $5 billion bolstered by $83 million in contributions from member states, the bank seeks to bridge critical funding gaps and propel project development throughout Africa. The launch of this bank aligns with Congo’s upcoming international licensing round, which will introduce new oil and gas extraction blocks, reinforcing the continent’s dedication to harnessing its hydrocarbon resources.

“Omar Farouk Ibrahim’s involvement at CEIF 2025 emphasizes the vital importance of inter-African collaboration in shaping the energy landscape on the continent,” stated James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital & Power. “The initiatives spearheaded by APPO, such as the Africa Energy Bank, equip nations like the Republic of Congo with the necessary resources to boost hydrocarbon development, attract investments, and pave the way for energy independence.”

Bboxx, a leading provider of clean energy and digital products across Africa, has announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) to integrate generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into its Bboxx Pulse platform.

The AI integration empowers Bboxx to analyze customer data, transaction history, and product interactions in real-time, generating concise summaries that accelerate customer service processes.

The innovation has resulted in a 2.5-minute average reduction in response times to customer queries, contributing to improved satisfaction levels across Bboxx’s customer base. Additionally, the company estimates a savings of approximately 5,000 customer service hours per month, significantly boosting operational efficiency.

“Bboxx has always been at the forefront of deploying cutting-edge technology to improve the lives of our customers and to streamline our internal operations,” said Anthony Osijo, CEO of Bboxx. “Through this collaboration with AWS’s Generative AI Innovation Centre, we’re enabling our teams to serve our customers better, faster, and more efficiently, ultimately benefitting both our employees and our business as a whole.”

As one of the first African businesses to work with the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, Bboxx’s integration of GenAI is the latest enhancement to its Bboxx Pulse Insights suite, which already includes credit scoring and behavioral analytics tools developed from over 900,000 customer records. These tools have led to a 15% improvement in collection rates and enhanced customer engagement.

“We are excited to see AWS’s Generative AI Services being deployed across Bboxx’s Pulse® platform in 10 new geographies,” said Sri Elaprolu, Director of AWS Generative AI Innovation Center. “The integration demonstrates how GenAI solutions can enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer experiences. By collaborating with Bboxx, we’re proud to support their mission of transforming lives through clean energy and digital products.”

This AI integration marks the first of many planned innovations aimed at further optimizing customer service and operational efficiency at Bboxx.

The company is also exploring the use of AI in other areas of its business, including the development of highly personalized daily planning tools for its 2,000+ field staff and agents to streamline operations.

WeLight, a prominent mini-grid company, has made significant strides in its rural electrification initiative, connecting 186 villages across Africa to electricity.

This includes 172 villages in Madagascar and 14 in Mali, a remarkable achievement that has directly benefited over 200,000 individuals and impacted the lives of more than one million people through improved access to essential services such as schools, businesses, and public lighting.

Since January 2024, WeLight has been connecting 10,000 people to electricity each month, showcasing the scalability and profitability of its mini-grid model without the need for subsidies.

This milestone in Madagascar, according to WeLight CEO Romain de Villeneuve, underscores the company’s leadership in rural electrification and its readiness to expand into new territories, including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

WeLight’s success has been supported by key partners like Norfund, Axian Group, and the European Investment Bank, as well as government agencies that have fostered public-private collaboration. The company also backs initiatives like the World Bank and African Development Bank’s M-300 program, which aims to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030, addressing the needs of over 600 million Africans who currently lack access to power.

This remarkable progress positions WeLight as a leading force in sustainable electrification across sub-Saharan Africa, transforming the lives of millions and paving the way for a more connected and empowered future.

The key to the successful, long-term development of a country’s natural energy resources can be a government that is willing to partner with energy companies to share risks as well as benefits, and to devise compliance approaches for effective social and environmental transformation.

So says Equinor Angola managing director Ane Aubert, of the company’s decades-long investment in Angola.

Government effort

Equinor is an international energy company headquartered in Norway, but over the years since the company entered the Angolan market in 1991, Angola has become one of the largest contributors to Equinor’s energy production outside Norway.

“The Angolan energy sector has made significant progress over the years” says Aubert. “We recognize the government´s effort to improve the business environment and remain attractive for investors.”

Among these efforts, Aubert notes the recent Presidential decree on incremental production. “It’s a great development,” says Aubert. “It introduces better terms for all oil and gas licenses, including incentives for mature fields and cost recovery for dry exploration wells.”

The Angolan government has also taken steps to enhance transparency and governance in the sector, by joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

“Equinor has been a longstanding supporter of the EITI, and this was a significant move towards greater accountability and public awareness about Angola’s natural resources,” she says.

CO2 reduction

Aubert says the Angolan government’s commitment to enabling sustainable development is expected to stimulate more activity and investment.

“A key element of maintaining and enhancing Angola’s competitiveness is the continuous focus on CO2 reduction measures,” she says. “This is essential, not only for the environment but also for attracting investment in a global market increasingly focused on low-carbon initiatives.”

For its part, Equinor is poised to continue its investment. It is set to drill two promising exploration opportunities in its blocks 1/14, and 47 offshore assets, and has plans for new infill and near-field exploration (ILX) wells in its legacy assets over the next five years.

The company made its first Angolan discovery in 1995. Its portfolio today is partner operated and delivers around 110 000 barrels of oil per day – around 10% of Angola’s total oil production.

Significant player

Despite the recent emergence of new frontier discoveries, Aubert is confident that Angola will remain a significant energy player on the continent long into the future.

“While Namibia is gaining attention as a potential new world-class exploration frontier, Angola continues to hold a strong position in Africa thanks to its established infrastructure, skilled workforce, and still substantial reserves potential,” says Aubert. “This combination, together with the government’s proactive approach, and increased focus on compliance, provides a stable and attractive environment for investors“.

Aubert says unlocking that attractive investment potential must go hand-in-hand with real ESG commitments. Equinor is itself part of several initiatives to boost efficiency and sustainability.

Through CO2 reduction roadmaps with partners and operators, process optimization, energy efficiency, and technology upgrades, the company reduced its CO2 emissions in Angola by 40% from 2018 to 2023.

It has also committed, alongside Sonangol and its operators, to the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter to end routine flaring by 2030 and achieve net-zero targets by 2050. It is also part of the Satellite Monitoring Campaign to detect methane leaks across assets.

“We believe it’s possible to lead in the energy transition while continuing our oil and gas activities, by optimizing our operations and focusing on efficient hydrocarbon development,” says Aubert.

Community projects

The company also has numerous community projects aimed at achieving social as well as economic progress.

A project in the southern Huila province aims to support 5 000 people in 10 rural communities affected by droughts and climate change through access to water and clean energy, as well as sustainable agricultural practices.

A biodiversity project supports a national inventory of mangrove ecosystems, which could hopefully lead to the recognition of Angolan mangroves as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

“Energy development in Africa must mean investing in the local workforce, promoting human rights, and being a constructive, proactive partner with authorities,” concludes Aubert. “Continued commitment, innovation, and collaboration across the Angolan industry is crucial to further reducing carbon emissions and achieving a sustainable energy future for all Angolans.”

Ane Aubert will be a featured speaker at AOW: Investing in African Energy, to be held in Cape Town at the CTICC2 from October 7 – 10. AOW is the meeting place for the global community of African energy stakeholders committed to enabling a prosperous energy outlook for Africa.