By Bassey Udo
Nigeria has once again demonstrated leadership in Africa’s oil and gas sector by spearheading the signing of a charter to birth the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF).
The landmark signing on Nigeria’s behalf by the Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, took place on the sidelines of the 31st edition of the Africa Oil Week (AOW) in Accra, Ghana.
The event was attended by regulators from 16 African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea and Togo, Kenya, Mauritania, Benin, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Morocco.
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Upstream, Etang Williams, was also present as an observer.
Nigeria was among eight regulatory authorities from eight African countries that formally endorsed the AFRIPERF Charter at the ceremony, with seven others expressing support with a pledge to join at a future date after due consultations.
The signatories to the charter included Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea and Togo.
The historic milestone of the signing of the charter was celebrated as the climax of the proposal first introduced by the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Engineer Komolafe, last year when he championed the creation of AFRIPERF to strengthen petroleum governance across Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Engineer Komolafe who doubles as the interim chairman of the forum, described the landmark 4th AFRIPERF Meeting and Charter Signing as a decisive step towards building a harmonised and sustainable petroleum industry in Africa.
The CCE said as the world navigates complex transitions toward cleaner, more sustainable energy systems, Africa must ensure that its vast hydrocarbon resources are managed with innovation, responsibility and foresight.
He said from the initial announcement of the birth of the Forum at the 8th SAIPEC, to its formal inauguration during the Nigeria Oil Gas (NOG 2024) conference event and the drafting of the AFRIPERF Charter, each milestone brought members closer to the historic signing of the charter to promote investments and harmonization of petroleum regulations in Africa.
By activating the Forum’s Executive and Technical Committees as well as Secretariat, he said the functional pillars that would drive AFRIPERF forward have been established to ensure its shared vision was translated into measurable results with defined timelines and accountability.
He said while the Executive Committee would serve as the principal oversight body to guide the implementation of AFRIPERF’s objectives, the Forum’s membership was for heads of Africa’s oil and gas regulatory bodies/agencies.
Also, he said the Technical Committee would be activated as needed based on thematic or sectoral priorities arising from the Executive Committee or broader membership, with its membership drawn from subject matter experts from member countries and partners to handle matters regarding specific regulatory areas and industry issues.
He said the secretariat committee would comprise member countries whose nominations would be called for and presented to the executive committee for ratification.
“AFRIPERF provides regulators with the mechanism to harmonise policies, address shared challenges and ensure that perspectives are not only heard, but respected on the global stage,” the interim chairman added.
The CCE commended the regulators and stakeholders for their technical contributions to the evolution of AFRIPERF and urged them to forge stronger partnerships with Africa Oil Week (AOW) by aligning the AFRIPERF Annual General Meeting (AGM) with the dates and venue of AOW to help boost attendance and engagement.
The AFRIPERF Charter defines its mission “to enhance cooperation and collaboration among African petroleum regulators, to ensure a safe, efficient, rewarding, equitable, and sustainable petroleum industry,” and the vision “to be the premier platform for African petroleum regulators to share knowledge, best practices, and expertise, in order to attain regional excellence in petroleum regulation.”
The purpose and principles of the forum are expected to be game-changers clearly define terms that would transform the continent’s oil and gas industry.
Chapter II, Article 3, of the Charter states the purpose of the Forum to be: “Foster collaboration, cooperation and coordination among Member Regulators; Promote harmonization of petroleum regulations and standards to enhance effective sector governance, uphold safety protocols and safeguard environmental protection.
“Enhance regulatory capacity and capability through training, capacity building and experience sharing; and Facilitate dialogue with industry stakeholders and international organizations.”
Besides, the Forum seeks to address regional petroleum regulatory challenges and leverage opportunities; facilitate knowledge sharing, technology transfer and disseminate international best practices among Member Regulators.”
In addition to these provisions, the Forum was designed to protect members’ interests at international levels, leveraging their collective strengths; seek to drive and promote investments in Africa’s petroleum activities; foster an environment of transparency and sound regulation and advance ethical practices in the exploitation of petroleum, while promoting opportunities in the petroleum sector, such as digitalisation, renewable integration, and emission reduction.
With the signing of the Charter, AFRIPERF is expected to call for the nominations for election of its Chairperson, in accordance with Article 12 as well as call for nominations of representatives from each member Regulator in line with Article 10 and the designation of AFRIPERF Headquarters in line with Article 25.
