At the 19th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2025 in Lagos, energy leaders and regulators called for deeper regional integration, policy harmony, and stronger infrastructure investment to accelerate sustainable growth across Africa’s oil and gas sector.

Adetunji Oyebanji, Chairman of the OTL Advisory Board, emphasized that Africa must evolve from being a crude supplier to becoming a hub for innovation, efficiency, and value addition. “Energy sustainability must balance present growth with future prosperity,” he said, urging stable policies and human capacity development to build investor confidence.

Brima M. Baluwa Koroma, Director-General of Sierra Leone’s NPRA, warned that Africa’s fragmented regulatory systems erode collective bargaining power and deter investment. He proposed a five-step integration roadmap—including harmonized frameworks, flexible regulations, and shared infrastructure such as regional refineries and pipelines.

Musa Njie, Director of Petroleum at The Gambia’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, added that aligning with ECOWAS standards would bolster energy security and transform smaller markets into strategic transit hubs.