Nigeria and Senegal Must Join Ghana and Mozambique in Rejecting Exclusionary Energy Practices
The African private sector is sounding the alarm over the Frontier Energy Network’s policies, which are perceived as systematically excluding African professionals and service providers from significant roles in key energy forums. This exclusion threatens decades of progress in African energy development, including local capacity building, knowledge transfer, and economic participation.
Concerns Over Frontier Energy Network’s Approach
Frontier Energy Network presents itself as a global platform for Africa; however, critics argue that it operates as a system that extracts value from the continent while denying Africans the chance to lead, participate, and benefit. This marginalization of those who build, operate, and sustain energy projects is viewed as structural exclusion disguised as opportunity.
African businesses, particularly in Nigeria and Senegal—two nations that drive regional growth—are urged to reassess their involvement in platforms that perpetuate these exclusionary practices. The message is clear: African capital, sponsorship, and attendance should not continue to legitimize forums where local stakeholders are systematically sidelined. Market access must be earned and mutually respected.
Precedents Set by Mozambique and Ghana
Recent actions by Mozambique and Ghana have set a significant precedent. In March 2026, Mozambique’s oil and gas industry withdrew from the Africa Energies Summit in London, citing repeated failures by the organizers to enhance diversity, transparency, and inclusion of Black professionals in leadership, contracting, and deal-making roles. Shortly thereafter, in early April 2026, the Ghana Energy Chamber also pulled out of the same summit over discriminatory hiring practices that excluded African professionals, executives, and service providers. These coordinated withdrawals send a strong message: Africa will no longer support platforms that deny its talent the right to lead, contribute, and benefit.
The Importance of Local Capacity Building
The gold standard for companies seeking to thrive in Africa is robust collaboration with international partners while simultaneously building local capacity. This is exemplified by Senegal-based energy services company Alliance Energy, which has advanced African expertise in the sector. Alliance has notably supported the launch of the National Institute for Petroleum and Gas in Senegal, aimed at training young professionals for leadership roles. The company also backs diverse energy initiatives across power, solar, gas, and wind, strengthening Senegal’s position as a regional energy hub.
This success illustrates that African companies flourish when local talent, leadership, contracting, and workforce development are central to execution, alongside strategic partnerships with entities from the US, UK, and Europe. Any organization attempting to operate in Africa without a commitment to hiring or contracting local professionals risks undermining not only the ecosystem that nurtured companies like Alliance Energy but also the continent’s broader ambition for regional capability, ownership, and sustainable energy development.
A Call for Inclusion
Dr. Ndjuga Dieng, Managing Director of Alliance Energy, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that Africa will no longer remain silent while its talent is excluded from opportunities on its own continent. He urged Nigeria, Senegal, and all African nations to follow the lead of Ghana and Mozambique by standing against discriminatory platforms. Dr. Dieng asserted that protecting local talent, companies, and the energy future is essential, stating, “Inclusion is not optional – it is the foundation of growth.”
The Role of Collaboration in African Energy Markets
Historically, African energy markets have thrived on collaboration, both within the continent and with international partners. Events such as the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) and the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum exemplify this model, integrating African executives, policymakers, and service providers into core programming, deal-making, and knowledge transfer.
African stakeholders are encouraged to prioritize platforms that respect local content, equitable hiring, and fair contracting. Strategic withdrawal from exclusionary events is not an act of isolationism; rather, it is a principled stand for economic logic and the future of Africa’s energy sector. The continent is poised to define its own trajectory and will engage only with partners that recognize African talent as integral, not optional, to the industry’s future.
Advocacy for Local Content Policies
The position advanced by Alliance Energy aligns with broader advocacy across the continent, including that of the African Energy Chamber, which has consistently called for stronger local content policies, fair contracting practices, and greater inclusion of African professionals throughout the energy value chain. This alignment underscores a growing consensus among African private sector leaders that sustainable industry growth depends on meaningful participation by local companies and talent, rather than their exclusion.
Source: www.zawya.com
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Published on 2026-04-10 13:58:00 • By the Editorial Desk
