Dear partners, APPO Members Countries and African energy stakeholders, after addressing the crucial challenge of financing oil and gas projects last month, I would like to place Local Content at the heart of our collective thinking today. In January 2026, as Africa consolidates its production at 7.8 Mb/d (+2.1%), Local Content is no longer an option: it is the strategic imperative that will transform our resources into sustainable prosperity for our nations. Let us move from rhetoric to concrete results.
Today’s challenges: an addiction that exhausts us
Despite notable advances – such as the 25% local content in Angola or the 15% reduction in flaring in Congo – Africa still imports 70% of the goods and services for its energy projects. This dependence exposes our economies to the volatility of global chains, amplified by tensions in the Red Sea (+20-30% on logistics costs). Our local talents, trained but underemployed, watch helplessly as skills drain to Europe or Asia. Worse, the contractual clauses of IOCs (International Oil Companies) often hinder local Joint-Ventures (JV)s, limiting technology transfers. These challenges are not insurmountable: they require firm political will and pragmatic mechanisms.
Immediate Opportunities: A $50 Billion Market to Seize
The horizon for 2026 is promising. With $500 billion in FDI investments in pipeline, Local Content can capture 30% of these flows by 2028. Let’s take the example of Nigeria: its JVs with TotalEnergies generated +$2 billion in local revenues in one year. Angola and Egypt are leading the way with gas hubs integrating 40% of African suppliers. Digital technologies (AI for exploration, drones for maintenance) democratize access, allowing our SMEs to compete. Now is the time: OPEC+ is stabilizing our revenues (Brent at $78/bbl), freeing up room to invest in our internal capacities.
Expected Benefits: A Triple Economic, Social and Energy Victory
– Economic: Creation of 500,000 direct jobs by 2030, with a sectoral GDP boosted by 15% via local value chains (tubular manufacturing, drilling services).
– Social: Reduction of poverty by 10% in the oil basins, training of 100,000 African engineers, and retention of skills for technological sovereignty.
– Energy: Alignment with the just transition – solar/gas projects integrating 50% Local Content, such as in Gabon or Egypt, positioning APPO as a leader in mixed energy.
Our futuristic vision: Africa, an autonomous energy hub by 2035
Let’s imagine 2035: an APPO where 60% of IOC contracts are reserved for our local champions, connected via a pan-African digital platform for supplier-project matching. Modular refining plants in Congo, R&D centers in Nigeria, and East-West gas corridors that are entirely African. This vision is based on concrete actions today: the adoption of an APPO Framework for Local Content (Nairobi, March 2026), mandatory audits of IOCs, and $1 billion seed funds for our SMEs. We will move from being junior suppliers to equal partners.
I make a solemn appeal to Ministers, Executive Directors and IOCs: let us integrate Local Content into every strategic decision. APPO will lead this revolution, with monthly public indicators to track our progress. Together, let’s turn our hydrocarbons into a continental heritage.
For a sovereign energy Africa!
Eng. FARID GHEZALI, Secretary General of the APPO
Brazzaville, 16 February 2026
