The Secretary General of the APPO, H.E. Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim led a Secretariat delegation which also included the Managing Director of the Cotonou-based Africa Energy Investment Corporation, AEICORP, Zakaria Dosso, on a Member Country visit to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The Secretary General was received in Malabo on Thursday, February 10, 2022 by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Francisco Pascual OBAMA ASUE.
The Secretary General gave the Prime Minister an update on APPO since the completion of the reform exercise two years ago. Their discussion also centered on the future of the oil and gas industry in Africa in the light of the global energy transition. Furthermore, the Secretary General expressed appreciation for the contributions that the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has been making to the success of APPO.
Commenting on some of the anticipated challenges from energy transition, the Secretary General informed the Prime Minister that the creation of the Africa Energy Investment Corporation is to address the funding gap expected to arise from the withdrawal of funding to oil and gas projects by the traditional financiers of the industry in Africa.
The Secretary General assured the Prime Minister that APPO is not against the Energy Transition, insisting however, that the pace of transition must take into account the realities of the African continent. The developed world, that takes for granted the necessities of life, like food, shelter, clothing, education health etc, which were all made possible from the massive use of fossil fuels by these societies, must not dictate the pace of transition to Africa where these necessities of live are still out of reach of most of its population.
The Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea praised the efforts of the Secretary General for his dynamism in the new impulses he is giving to the APPO for the benefit of its Member Countries. For him, the independence of Africa in all sectors of life is more than a necessity. Africa, he said, must take its destiny into its own hands.
Prime Minister ASUE called for greater cooperation and collaboration among APPO Member Countries and assured of Equatorial Guinea`s continuous support to the Organization. He commended the Equatorial Guinea Minister for Mines and Hydrocarbons and Member of the APPO Council of Ministers for the able and exemplary representation he is giving to Equatorial Guinea at APPO.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General was earlier received in audience by H.E. Gabriel MBAGA OBIANG LIMA, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons at the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons, during which issues related to the activities of the APPO and the African position on the Energy Transition were discussed. The Secretary General recalled and congratulated Equatorial Guinea for its major role in the achievement of the Reform and in the life of the Organization.
The delegation also visited the two National Oil and Gas Companies, SONAGAS and GEPETROL where discussions revolved around the future of the oil and gas industry in Africa in the light of energy transition, African local content development, funding for the industry and cooperation and collaboration among African NOCs and oil and gas research institutions.
He also invited them to participate in the inaugural meeting of the heads of National Hydrocarbon Companies scheduled to be held in May 2022 in Luanda on the sidelines of CAPE VIII.The Secretary General expressed gratitude to the government and good people of Equatorial Guinea for the warm hospitality accorded to his delegation.
