APPO and ARDA concretize their partnership thanks to the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The solemn ceremony took place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Cape Town (South Africa).
The document, signed by H.E. Farid Ghezali, SG, on behalf of APPO and Ms. Marie Joséphine Sidibé, Chairperson, on behalf of ARDA, establishes a general framework for collaboration and cooperation between the parties on objectives and issues of common interest in the field of hydrocarbons and related activities. Thus, the agreement affirms the interest of APPO and ARDA to cooperate and contribute to the effective achievement of their objectives in the areas of exchange of information and documentation on projects, studies and events carried out by the two institutions, promotion of the development of regional infrastructure for the processing, transport, storage, distribution and control of petroleum products, the promotion of adequate access to petroleum products, LPG and natural gas for all populations. Other areas of focus include supporting the security of hydrocarbon supply in all its forms across the continent, working together to harmonize regulatory frameworks in the petroleum sector, harmonizing the quality and specifications of petroleum products, promoting local content along the oil value chain, and capacity building and human resource development in the oil sector.
Priority areas for collaboration
Within the framework of this agreement, the parties have chosen to place greater emphasis on some specific areas of cooperation such as the regulation and development of infrastructure, through the harmonization of contractual, fiscal and regulatory frameworks as well as policies of the oil sector, the development of common strategies to secure the supply of hydrocarbons, the promotion of policies and strategies for the development of modern and efficient regional infrastructure for the supply, transport, distribution and control of petroleum products through regional integration projects (storage facilities, oil and gas pipelines, refineries, etc.), the promotion and support for the creation of regional hydrocarbon markets as well as the development of a concerted and harmonized framework for the promotion of the local content, including capacity building in the oil sector. In terms of technical and financial assistance, APPO and ARDA will collaborate in the implementation of projects of common interest, including joint studies and projects identified jointly in accordance with each Party’s programmes of activities. As such, ARDA shows its determination to participate in the financing and implementation of the African Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Market Study initiated by APPO, which, in turn, expresses its interest in participating in the study aimed at developing a harmonized regional framework on fuel specifications and limits in the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). These joint actions will be the subject of special agreements. Therefore, the two organizations are committed to collaboration in the field of training and human capacity building in the hydrocarbon sectors, including the development of models based on best practices.
Established on 23 March 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa, the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) is a pan-African organisation set up to represent the downstream petroleum sector, including the refining, storage, distribution and marketing of petroleum products across the African continent. Its headquarters are based in Geneva, Switzerland.
