On January 5, 2026, we began a new phase in the history of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO). It is with deep humility, gratitude, and a keen sense of responsibility that I accept the mission entrusted to me by the member states : to guide, alongside all of you, APPO towards a new era, more strategic, better integrated, and more focused on tangible results.
Our continent is brimming with wealth. It is not just about oil, gas, or essential resources, but above all about its youth, its ideas, and its desire for change. We have a collective responsibility to transform these assets into true drivers of development, stability, and sovereignty.
In a context of rapid energy transition, Africa should not be content with simply following the trend. It must chart its own course. A fair path that meets its needs, realistic in its technological choices, but resolutely ambitious. APPO must become this strong African voice, united, clear, and influential.
My vision is clear: to make APPO a catalyst for unity, operational cooperation, and African solutions in the face of the challenges we encounter. An APPO that does not passively follow global decisions, but actively engages with them. An APPO that is open, inclusive, and mobilizing, particularly for emerging and aspiring countries and new producers.
Together, we will:
- Accelerate the operationalization of the African Energy Bank, a strategic tool for funding our priorities;
- Promote local content and capacity building, for human capital is Africa’s primary energy;
- Strengthen South-South cooperation and expand our organization to include new African partners;
- Position APPO as a reference actor in global discussions on energy security, just transition, and climate equity.
To each APPO Member State, I extend my full cooperation.
To every expert, every partner, and every African committed to energy development, I say: APPO is your home. Together, let us shape the future.
Africa’s energy awakening is underway. United, we will move forward. And APPO will be the engine.
Farid GHEZALI
Secretary General, APPO
January 5, 2026
