Africa’s Path to Renewable Energy Paved by Oil and Gas Investments, Ministers Say

By Faridat Salifu

At the recent African Energy Week (AEW) 2024 OPEC Roundtable in South Africa, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and Gabon’s Minister of Petroleum, Marcel Abeke, put forward a strategic call for investment in Africa’s oil and gas industry as a catalyst for advancing the continent’s renewable energy ambitions.
Lokpobiri argued that achieving Africa’s renewable energy goals requires substantial capital a demand that traditional energy investments can help meet.
His remarks underscore a pragmatic approach to Africa’s energy transition, proposing that revenues and infrastructure from oil and gas could lay the groundwork for scaling up renewable energy. “Africa needs to finance its future with a balanced approach that includes oil and gas investments,” he said.
OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais supported this stance, adding that the oil and gas sector can play a positive role in the global climate strategy by adopting low-carbon solutions, such as carbon capture and storage.
He emphasized that the path to a sustainable future is about emission reduction rather than simply sidelining certain fuel sources.
Marcel Abeke highlighted the immediate challenges of energy poverty facing Africa, where over 600 million people still lack access to electricity.
He reiterated that enhancing oil production is essential to secure the energy needed to bridge this gap. Gabon, for instance, is not only focused on boosting its crude output to 500,000 barrels per day but is also actively inviting foreign investments to tap into its newly discovered gas reserves.
“We need partnerships to accelerate growth and address our energy challenges,” Abeke noted. “The development of oil and gas is crucial not only for economic progress but also to facilitate the renewable energy journey.”
Both ministers’ remarks reflect a view that Africa’s energy evolution will rely on a balanced integration of traditional and renewable energy sources, with oil and gas playing a critical role in financing and facilitating the shift toward sustainable power solutions.
This approach seeks to ensure economic development alongside energy access for millions, propelling Africa toward a future where energy scarcity and poverty are significantly reduced.