Fruitful working visit of His Excellency Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of APPO to Angola
In the context of the implementation of the Secretariat’s 2022 Work Programme pertaining to Member Countries visits, the APPO Secretary General, His Excellency Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, visited Angola from April 7 to 9, 2022. He was accompanied by the Head of Staff of his Cabinet, Mr. Bakary TRAORE.
At the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, the delegation was received in audience by His Excellency Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of the Republic of Angola & President of the APPO Ministerial Council. Mr. Zakaria DOSSO joined the delegation via videoconference.
In his welcome remarks, Minister Diamantino commended the Secretary General and the Secretariat team for work done since the completion of the reform of APPO. He expressed the Presidency’s full support for the proper running of the Organization’s Secretariat.
In his response the Secretary General expressed appreciation to His Excellency Minister Diamantino Azevedo for the leadership and guidance he is providing to the Secretariat as President of APPO for the year 2022, and for the continuous support of Angola to APPO.
The Secretary General gave the President an update on developments in the Secretariat since the last Meeting of the Ministerial Conference in December 2021. He mentioned the assumption of duty of the two Directors – Research and Support Services – as well as the 4 new analsysts. He also gave the President an update on the payment of contributions of Member Countries to the Secretariat. Further discussions centered on preparations for CAPE VIII which Luanda is hosting from 16-19 May 2022.
The Secretary General sought the President’s logistics support for the conduct of the inaugural meeting of the APPO Long Term Strategy Committee, the Audit Committee of the Executive Board and the Budget and Finance Committee of the Executive Board. Specifically, he asked for provision of meeting venues with all necessary working tools, as well as accommodation for the delegates. He noted that for the LTSC expected delegates including the Secretariat is 40, while for the Audit Committee and the B&F Committee it is 6 each. The APPO President approved the request and directed the EB Member for APPO to handle.
The SG further requested that for the Meeting of the CEOs of the APPO MCs NOCs, the President of SONANGOL becomes the chief host and be responsible for all the logistics. Again, APPO President agreed and advised that when the delegation visits the SONANGOL President, it should put the request to him.
On the AEICorp, the SG informed the President that AFREXIMBANK had approached APPO/AEICorp for partnership to establish an Africa Energy Bank. He noted that a team from APPO and AEICorp met with the Management of AFREXIMBANK, led by its President, Professor Oramah in Abidjan last month where the proposal for made. He added that the APPO/AEICorp team had told the AFREXIMBANK that it will need the guidance of the Ministerial Council to proceed with the meeting. They were therefore seeking the guidance of the President on what to do. Having reviewed the issues at length, the President directed that APPO/AEICorp should go into negotiations with AFREXIMBANK and see if some agreement can be arrived at for the consideration of the Ministers when they meet in Luanda. He posited that if attendance of Ministers to CAPE VIII is up to the quorum as specified in the Statute, they will have an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council. The Managing Director of AEICorp (attending via videoconference) clarified issues raised by the President.
The APPO President directed the Secretary General to immediately embark on an aggressive drive for membership to the Organization, listing in particular Namibia, Mozambique and Uganda as potential target Member Countries.
The delegation visited the Angola National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels, ANPG, founded in February 2019 after the government’s decision to withdraw the regulatory functions from SONANGOL, the Angolan National Oil Company. The discussions with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ANPG, Mr. Paulino Jeronimo, were focused on the need for collaboration and cooperation between African countries in the era of Energy Transition for which APPO has taken the lead and is expressing the voice and the position of African oil and gas producing countries. The need for the creation of an African Energy market was also discussed as well as matters relating to capacity development and African Local Content for which ANPG will play in key role during the African Local Content Roundtable scheduled for 17th May 2022 in the scientific programme of the 8th Edition of the African Petroleum Congress and Exhibitions (CAPE VIII) in Luanda, Angola.
The day ended with a visit to SONANGOL, the NOC of Angola where Executive Board Members in the absence of the CEO, were brief on the new Forum of NOCs with its inaugural meeting scheduled for 16th May in Luanda back to back to CAPE VIII. The key role of SONANGOL, host NOC for the inaugural meeting was highlighted by the Secretary General. SONANGOL was specifically requested to be the Chief host of the CEOs and provide the logistics of the meeting. Discussions with Executive Board Members focused on the challenges facing the Oil and Gas industry in Africa and the need for active cooperation and collaboration between African NOCs to address the imminent challenges of the industry in the continent in the light of the Energy Transition.
