First and Foremost, with our hearts full of gratitude, we say a big thank you to God Almighty for making the Angolan Oil and Gas Summit 2022 held at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel in Angola on the 22nd of October 2022 a resounding success.
On behalf of Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC OFR, CFR Rtd, Chairman of the Board, we would also like to express our profound gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to all our invited guests and participants for making it a reality with your highly revered presence and contributions. These amazing personalities and dignitaries gave their unstinted support, valuable contributions, and immeasurable kindness toward the success of this year’s Summit.
We are also indebted in gratitude to the Nigerian Embassy in Angola and the Angolan Embassy in Nigeria.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank congratulated the organization for organizing the summit with the theme ‘’ Harnessing the Potential for inclusive Energy Transition and A Sustainable Future’’ He noted that the platform would enhance business collaboration between Nigeria and Angola. Thus promoting peace, business networking, good governance, and improving the condition of living of Africans are very crucial. He noted further that these are the key areas that the African Development Bank is strongly committed to through its Five Agenda.
We won’t also forget H.E The Hon Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment of Nigeria Otunba Niyi Adebayo CON, who wished the organizers a successful event.
Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe, Chairman of Green Energy International Ltd delivered a paper titled ‘’Building Energy transition Capacity – a catalyst for a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable Africa’’. He noted that ‘’Energy is required to accelerate socio-economic and other development goals. Energy supports agricultural and industrial activities and plays a key role in improving the quality of public services such as healthcare, clean water, and education. Therefore the provision of reliable,
affordable, and sustainable electricity to all will significantly translate to substantial gains in GDP, industrialization, huge employment, and human welfare, especially in the African continent that has over 580 million of her people without electricity in this 21st century.’’
He went further to state that, ‘’Energy is a powerful catalyst for all forms of economic and social development. Sustainable, reliable, and affordable electricity access to all, will significantly translate to substantial gains in GDP, industrialization, agriculture, huge employment, and improved quality of social services, such as healthcare, clean water, and education for all and in the African continent. It is important to emphasize that RE energy will be the powerful driver that will accelerate the economic, health, and social empowerment of the rural masses and especially of the women who bear the major brunt of the erstwhile lack of electricity and clean water. In light of the above benefits, it is important that developing nations (Africa) adopt a radical approach to the effective delivery of their Energy Transition Plans (ETP).
This paper has articulated some measures that would help Africa to close the gaps for an effective and practical pathway. Finally, there is peace when there is economic growth, collaboration, and satisfaction among the people.’’
Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima JSC OFR, CFR Rtd, Chairman of the Board at African Peace Magazine, noted that ‘’Oil and Gas in Africa contribute to the economic and social development of the continent. At this level, a solid understanding of the multi-faceted nature of Africa’s oil and gas challenges and opportunities is very important.’’ He went future to state that the ‘’African Continental Trade Agreement (ACTA) gives an opportunity for Africans to come together to trade freely within Africa and it is only when we take advantage of this agreement that we can have unity, peace, and prosperity for Africa. Africans need to be united through trade, it is very important because when you have an increase in poverty you’ll have malnourishment, hunger, contention, etc. All these strives bring about insecurity, conflict, and backwardness. But when you have prosperity and a developed economy, there will be stability and peace. And that is the sole aim of African Peace Magazine, it’s to ensure that there is peace in Africa.’’
He noted that the event was a huge success as several investors have signified their intention to invest in various sectors in Angola running into millions of dollars.
Dr. Jose Chinjamba Board of Director member, Angola’s Agency for Private Investment and Exports Promotion (AIPEX), noted that ‘’Diversifying beyond the petroleum sector, Angola features on the Top 10 Best African Countries to Invest in 2022, according to Business Insider Africa.’’
‘’According to a Bloomberg study on FDI (March 2022) conducted on a sample of 640 investors: Perceptions about Angola have improved significantly and are positive after exposure to contents such as Angola as a country of opportunities to invest, with improvements in factors such as safety, innovation and reliability.’’
He noted further that ‘’Angola is a growing hub in the sub-region Establishing industries and serving as the preferred gateway • Privileged geographic location for trade, travel and tourism • Access to 1.2 billion customers via African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) • Renovation and expansion of the railway networks • Investment in trade corridors with infrastructure and technology to improve the movement of goods and people • Transmission capacity through submarine fiber-optic cables (WACS, Monet & SACS) and IP Transit All of the above generate countless business opportunities for investors in downstream and support services’’
‘’Angola aims to increase the use of renewable energy sources to 70% by 2025, President João Lourenço announced during COP2021; • There are 47 watersheds with vast water potential, of which the country explores only 5%; • Angola has winds with average speeds of more than 4.5m/s in the south and central highlands of Angola that provide the installation of wind farms; • The wind resource in the southwest of the country and on the Atlantic escarpment, presents favorable conditions for the installation of more than 3.9 (gigawatt) GW of wind farms; • Angola has an extraordinarily broad wealth of biomes and ecosystems, associated with the diversity of climates and physiography of the territory. In total there are seven (7) biomes and fifteen (15) ecorregions, making Angola in the African country with the highest number of biomes and the second (after South Africa) with the highest number of ecorregions.’’ He concluded that Angola is open for investors.
You are all invited to attend the African Peace Awards 2022, organized by African Peace Magazine UK, in conjunction with her strategic partners, Rethink Africa Foundation, African Fact Checkers, Centre for peace and Conflict management in Africa and African Right Watch scheduled for the 11th to 12th November 2022 with the Theme Evolving a Sustainable Peace Architecture in a Changing World, In London Uk. For further information contact [email protected]
Thanks.