·Nigeria, 7 others sign AFRIPERF charter
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Nigeria and seven other African countries yesterday signed a charter to birth the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), a demonstration of the country’s leadership in Africa’s oil and gas sector.
The charter seeks to enhance cooperation and collaboration among African petroleum regulators, to ensure a safe, efficient, rewarding, equitable, and sustainable petroleum industry.
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The forum is also designed with 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 landmark signing ceremony, chaired by the Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), 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. Others in attendance were: Kenya, Mauritania, Benin, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Morocco.
The Chairman of Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Upstream, Senator Etang Williams, was also present as an observer, a statement by the Head, Media and Strategic Communications of the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, stated.
At the ceremony, regulators from eight African countries formally endorsed the AFRIPERF Charter, while seven others present expressed support with a pledge to join at a future date after consultations, the state statement said.
Those who signed the charter included: Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Gambia, Madagascar, Sudan, Guinea and Togo.
Based on Chapter II, Article 3, the purpose of the forum is to “Foster collaboration, cooperation and coordination among member regulators; promote harmonisation of petroleum regulations and standards to enhance effective sector governance, uphold safety protocols and safeguard environmental protection.”
It also seeks to enhance regulatory capacity and capability through training, capacity building and experience sharing; and facilitate dialogue with industry stakeholders and international organisations as well as address regional petroleum regulatory challenges and leverage opportunities.
The historic milestone was the climax of the proposal first introduced by Komolafe last year when he championed the creation of AFRIPERF to strengthen petroleum governance across Africa. The forum held its inaugural meeting in July 2024, followed by a second gathering in November 2024, setting the stage for yesterday’s breakthrough.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Komolafe who doubles as the interim chairman of the forum, described the 4th AFRIPERF meeting and charter signing ceremony as a decisive step towards building a harmonised and sustainable petroleum industry in Africa.
The commission’s chief executive said that 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 our initial announcement at the 8th SAIPEC, to our inauguration during the NOG 2024 event and the careful drafting of the AFRIPERF Charter, each milestone has brought us closer to this historic day.
“By activating our Executive Committee, Technical Committee and Secretariat, we are establishing the functional pillars that will drive AFRIPERF forward, ensuring that our shared vision is translated into measurable results with defined timelines and accountability.”
The executive committee will serve as the principal oversight body guiding the implementation of AFRIPERF’s objectives, while its membership is for heads of Africa’s oil and gas regulatory bodies/agencies.
The technical committee will be activated as needed based on thematic or sectoral priorities arising from the executive committee or broader membership while its membership will be drawn from subject matter experts from member countries and partners to handle matters regarding specific regulatory areas and industry issues.
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The secretariat committee will comprise member countries and nominations will be called for and presented to the executive committee for ratification, the statement added.
“AFRIPERF provides regulators with the mechanism to harmonise our policies, address shared challenges and ensure that our perspectives are not only heard but respected on the global stage,” the interim chairman added.
Komolafe commended the regulators and stakeholders for their technical contributions to the evolution of AFRIPERF and suggested a strong partnership with AOW by aligning the AFRIPERF Annual General Meeting (AGM) with the dates and venue of the event.
Following the signing, AFRIPERF will call for the nominations for election of the chairperson of AFRIPERF in accordance with Article 12 and also call for nominations of a representative from each member regulator.