Energy
African and European high level meeting on energy calls for continued cooperation to ensure access to energy by Africans across the continent
ADDIS ABABA– The Second High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership was held at Ministerial level on 13th February at the African Union, with calls from different speakers for continued efforts to ensure access to energy by Africans across the continent. The energy partnership is one of the eight partnerships of the EU-Africa Joint Strategy, which was adopted in December 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal.
Speaking during the opening of the ministerial session meeting, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr Elham Ibrahim, focused on the progress and importance of the initiatives launched by the African Union Commission and its partners, since the inception of the AEEP. She spoke specifically on the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility, which encourages public and private sector geothermal development projects by providing cost share grants for surface studies and drilling of reservoir confirmation wells. “Under the facility, grants have been awarded to 5 projects in Kenya and Ethiopia, amounting to 22 million US dollars, and other agreements will be signed in March this year,” she announced.
The Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy for Ethiopia, Mr. Alemayehu Tegenu highlighted the importance of appropriate and robust national policies and strategies in the success of Africa’s energy ambitions. He pointed to several projects which have been initiated in Ethiopia as a result of the nation’s focus on integrating energy into the core of its national and development agenda. These include: the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Gibe Three hydropower projects which will produce almost 9,000 megawatts of electricity between them when completed; and Ethiopia’s pioneering wind farms which he said, are the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa
In an inspirational message, the UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy For All programme, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella emphasised the need for governments and continental organisations to integrate sustainable energy into their agendas, and the need for co-operation amongst the different government ministries to achieve energy goals. He re-iterated that without effective use and generation of energy supplies, there can be no effective development, as energy is vital to success in all other sectors including health, manufacturing, trade and communication. “We cannot create the 10 million jobs that Africa needs, without industrialisation and for that we need energy”, he said.
The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Erastus Mwencha, closed the opening session of the meeting with a pointed reminder of the final aim of Africa’s development agenda, “The ultimate African ambition in energy is clearly about providing modern energy services to all its citizens”, he said.. The Deputy Chairperson highlighted some of the challenges faced by Africa today in terms of access to energy: “We still have almost 500 million Africans without access to reliable electricity, over 70% of our population relying on traditional biomass stoves for meeting their cooking needs, with severe health implications and mortality amongst women and children; and the low access to modern energy services for productive applications is threatening industrial and economic development in the continent, especially in crucial sectors that are important for jobs creation such as the agricultural and manufacturing sectors”, said Mr Mwencha. He added that Africa would require both large scale and small scale modern energy solutions in addressing the problem. He called on all actors, stakeholders and partners to find common ground in working together for the ultimate goal of providing modern energy access to all Africans in the coming decades.
Several countries in Africa are achieving impressive results in the energy sector. These include Ghana, which has achieved over 80% energy access for its citizens, and expects to exceed 90% access by 2015. Similarly, as of 2010, South Africa, Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt all have energy accessibility of over 80%.
The meeting was also addressed by several delegates from the European side including Mr Andries Pielbags, EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation (via video link); Mr Christian Schmidt, Deputy Minister of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany: and Mr Andreas Melan, Austrian Ambassador to Ethiopia. It was attended by African and European Ministers, Commissioners, business leaders and other high-level delegates.
The AEEP is one of the partnerships forged as a result of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which encompasses eight areas of co-operation. These are: Peace and Security; Democratic Governance and Human Rights; Trade, regional integration and infrastructure; the Millennium Development Goals; Energy; Climate Change; Migration, mobility and employment; and Science, Information Society and Space.
The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has completed the turnaround maintenance on the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, leading to resumption of production at Nigeria’s premier deepwater field on March 6, 2026.
Biztellers reports that the project was delivered 11 days ahead of schedule and without any safety incident, reinforcing SNEPCo’s longstanding commitment to operational excellence and asset integrity.
“Completing the turnaround safely and ahead of schedule is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our Nigerian workforce and the helpful support of our partners,” SNEPCo Managing Director Ronald Adams said. “The achievement not only secures the long‑term integrity of the Bonga FPSO but also positions us strongly for the successful delivery of the Bonga North project, which will leverage the improved reliability of the FPSO.”
The exercise which began on February 1, 2026, highlights SNEPCo’s leading role in advancing deep‑water expertise in Nigeria. Of the 55 companies involved in the execution, 43 were wholly Nigerian. Additionally, eight of the 12 international service providers maintain operational bases in Nigeria, contributing to knowledge transfer and increased local investments.
More than 1,000 personnel worked offshore during the turnaround, with over 95% being Nigerians involved in maintenance, engineering, operations, inspection and construction. Thousands more supported activities from onshore locations, reflecting the depth of Nigerian capability in offshore oil and gas operations.
Adams added: “We acknowledge the support of several stakeholders towards the successful execution of the exercise, including the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and our partners.”
Modupe Asudo
Sahara Group, a leading global energy and infrastructure conglomerate, has commissioned MT Asharami Ghana, a 40,000‑cubic‑metre Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, expanding its fleet capacity, while strengthening Ghana’s clean energy supply chain and LPG distribution network.
The dual‑fuel vessel improves operational efficiency, enhances supply reliability, and supports lower‑emission LPG logistics as consumption grows across Ghana and the wider sub‑region.
Ghanaian President Mahama and Sahara Executive Directors
Speaking at the commissioning in Ulsan, South Korea, President John Dramani Mahama described the vessel as “a significant milestone in strengthening the infrastructure that underpins the global LPG supply chain,” noting that expanded shipping capacity is critical to improving supply security, reliability and efficiency for countries that rely partly on LPG imports.
He commended Sahara Group, WAGL Energy and all partners involved for their “leadership, technical expertise and strategic foresight,” adding that the project reflects “the power of partnership” in advancing safe, efficient, and responsible energy distribution.
President Mahama wished the MT Asharami Ghana safe sails, expressing confidence that the vessel would inspire further investment and collaboration across Africa’s energy value chain.
According to Wale Ajibade, Executive Director, Sahara Group, the vessel supports Ghana’s clean energy ambitions through integrated infrastructure.
“MT Asharami Ghana is more than a vessel; it is part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen LPG supply security and support Ghana’s clean energy ambitions. It secures an additional 25,000-Metric-tonne stock security for the Ghana economy, alongside the soon to be commissioned 6000-metric-tonee of 12.000-metric-tonne land storage in Tema,” he said.
With the addition of Asharami Ghana, Sahara Group’s LPG carrier fleet now comprises six delivered vessels with a combined capacity of 202,000 cubic metres. Supported by partnerships with WAGL Energy, NNPC Limited and other stakeholders, an additional 270,000 cubic metres of capacity is under construction and due for delivery by September 2028.
Temitope Shonubi, Executive Director, Sahara Group, said Asharami Ghana is part of Sahara’s integrated LPG infrastructure strategy spanning shipping, storage, and downstream distribution globally, including the development of a 12,000‑metric‑tonne land‑based LPG storage terminal in Tema, with a 6,000‑metric‑tonne first phase scheduled for completion in May 2026.
He thanked Yaa Serwaa Alifo, MD of Asharami Ghana, for her resilience and insistence to dedicate a ship of “this magnitude solely to the Ghana Market and its landlocked neighbours.”
Ghana is targeting LPG adoption of 50 per cent of households by 2030, up from about 30 per cent today. Sahara’s investments will support clean energy access for more than 35 million people, while strengthening Ghana’s role in regional LPG trade to neighbouring and landlocked West African markets.
The commissioning comes in Sahara Group’s 30th anniversary year, guided by the Sahara Beyond XXX milestone, underscoring Sahara’s focus on building an enduring enterprise that delivers responsible growth, shared prosperity and long‑term impact across its markets.
Nigeria’s crude oil production dropped to 1.31 million barrels per day in February, even as local refineries continue to grapple with inadequate domestic crude supply needed to sustain operations.
The development shows that Nigeria again failed to meet its crude oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day approved by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as output declined sharply in February 2026.
Data from OPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report, based on direct communication from member countries, showed that Nigeria produced 1.314 million barrels per day in February, down from 1.459 mbpd recorded in January.
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The figures indicate a month-on-month decline of 146,000 barrels per day, widening the country’s shortfall from its OPEC production allocation.
Nigeria’s inability to meet its OPEC production quota is not only affecting its oil export earnings but also adversely impacting domestic refineries that are starved of feedstock for their operations.
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