Africa’s gas potential and strengthening the continent’s energy security would take centre stage at the Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum (AISF 2026) scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, in Lagos.

Biztellers reports that top officials of Oando Plc and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Ayotola Jagun and Tony Attah, respectively, will be leading other industry leaders in the discussion.

Jagun, Oando’s Executive Director, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Attah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, will participate in a panel discussion alongside Lamé Verre of Lean In Equity & Sustainability (LiNES) and Dapo Filani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Waltersmith.

The panel will examine Africa’s energy security and the role of natural gas in the continent’s energy transition.

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The forum, launched in 2024, is holding its third edition under the theme, “Energy Security and Africa’s Energy Transition: Defining the Role of Gas.”

This year’s gathering will explore how African countries can strengthen energy security, attract investment in gas development and balance growing energy demand with sustainability objectives.

Verre, a London-based energy and sustainability executive, is Co-founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of LiNES. She will bring her international experience in sustainability, decarbonisation and low-carbon development to the discussion. Her work spans low-carbon initiatives across sectors, including marine, the built environment, forestry, land and agriculture.

Jagun brings extensive experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management and sustainability. Her contribution will provide a corporate sustainability and governance perspective on the relationship between energy development, environmental responsibility and Africa’s transition priorities.

Attah, a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited, has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, particularly in natural gas development and major energy operations.

Filani leads Waltersmith, an indigenous Nigerian energy company with interests across the oil and gas value chain. His participation will highlight the role of indigenous energy companies in strengthening domestic energy capacity and supporting economic development.

The panel will consider what is required to unlock greater investment in Africa’s gas sector, how natural gas can support industrial growth while advancing sustainability, and what practical measures could help translate the continent’s energy ambitions into tangible outcomes.

Beyond the panel discussion, AISF 2026 will provide opportunities for engagement among senior energy executives, policymakers, investors and business leaders.

Oil prices on Monday went south, after crude exports from the Middle East rose above pre-war levels, while the Group of Seven nations pledged to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from emergency reserves.

Brent crude futures fell by $1.20, or 1.17 percent, to $101.05 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude declined by $1.16, or 1.27 percent, to $89.95 per barrel, according to Reuters.

Middle Eastern crude exports exceeded pre-war levels on four of the seven days in the final week of September, shipping data showed, despite attacks on vessels passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The increase in exports, combined with the G7’s planned release of emergency stocks, helped put downward pressure on crude prices.

The G7 countries agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude from emergency reserves and pledged to refrain from energy export restrictions following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.

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However, the scale of the additional supply remained uncertain.

IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol, said last week that member countries had already released about two-thirds of the 400-million-barrel volume.

Meanwhile, supply concerns remained elevated as fighting continued across parts of the Middle East.

Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer, Amin Nasser, also warned that crude oil and refined fuel supplies were expected to remain stretched.

He said rebuilding global stockpiles after emergency withdrawals could take two years.

The United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 283 million barrels last week, its lowest level since October 1982, according to data from the US Department of Energy.

The supply outlook was further complicated by the continuing conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

Yemeni government forces attacked Houthi positions in the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday, according to two military sources.

The development came a day after the internationally recognised government launched a campaign to retake Houthi-held territory.

Meanwhile, OPEC+ postponed a review that would determine its 2027 oil output quotas after the war involving Iran disrupted projects aimed at expanding production capacity across the Middle East.

The Group of Seven (G7) has resolved to release up to 100 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from strategic stocks.

An analyst at Argus Media, Sarah Raffoul, has expressed the view that this might mount pressure on European diesel prices in the short term.

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, constitute the G7, though the European Union (EU) also participates in the group’s meetings.

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The G7 concerns itself with major global economic, energy, security and international issues.

According to Raffoul, the coordinated release, which includes a front-loaded diesel release, is likely to ease immediate supply concerns and weaken risk premiums as additional barrels become available during the early part of the winter season.

“The measure is likely to reduce prompt market tightness and weaken risk premiums as additional barrels become available during the early part of the winter season, although the final breakdown between crude and products has yet to be disclosed,” she said.

Raffoul added that the impact is expected to be felt mostly in October and November, when most of the released volumes are likely to reach the market.

She said the announcement also reduces concerns over export restrictions and includes commitments to maximise refinery utilisation, further improving confidence in near-term diesel availability.

However, Raffoul said the release does not fundamentally change the broader supply outlook because the additional barrels are being drawn from existing inventories rather than new production.

“The additional barrels are being drawn from existing inventories rather than new production, meaning the measure provides temporary relief rather than a lasting increase in supply,” she said.

She noted that several factors continue to support diesel fundamentals, including unplanned refinery outages in Asia, uncertainty surrounding Chinese export volumes and continued restrictions on Russian diesel exports.

“Europe also remains reliant on imports to balance its diesel market, leaving it exposed to disruptions in global trade flows,” Raffoul said.

She said the stock release is likely to cap further price increases and ease immediate supply concerns, but is unlikely to eliminate them entirely.

“OECD European diesel inventories remain relatively low by historical standards, while strengthening jet fuel markets have pushed the European jet-diesel regrade back into positive territory,” she said.

Raffoul added that the development suggests diesel values may need to strengthen relative to current levels to restore the normal relationship between the two products.

She said stronger refinery runs, Chinese export policy and sustained stock releases could leave the market more comfortably supplied than currently expected.

“On the other hand, further refinery disruptions, weaker exports, stronger winter demand or delays to inventory rebuilding could allow tightness to deepen once the effect of the stock release begins to fade,” she said.

Raffoul said the announcement points to softer European diesel prices in the near term, but noted that underlying fundamentals suggest any weakness is more likely to reflect a reduction in supply risk than a meaningful loosening of market balances.