AEW 2024 Recognizes Trailblazers in Africa’s Energy Sector

At the African Energy Week’s prestigious Invest in African Energies Awards ceremony, held during the African Energy Week 2024, 12 distinguished leaders and companies were celebrated across 10 categories for their remarkable contributions to Africa’s oil, gas, and energy landscape. This annual event spotlights individuals and organizations whose work advances the continent’s energy security and fosters economic growth.

The evening’s top honor, the Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award, was jointly awarded to Benedict Oramah, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, and Nikki Martin, recognizing their enduring leadership and impact. Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank, has championed financial innovation in energy, including the recent launch of the Africa Energy Bank in collaboration with the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO).

Dr. Ibrahim, APPO’s Secretary General, was celebrated for his dedication to sustainable African energy development, while Nikki Martin, CEO of EnerGeo Alliance, was honored for her advocacy in technology and data strategies for sustainable exploration.

Additional awardees included:

• Energy Person of the Year: Meg O’Neill, CEO of Woodside Energy, honored for her leadership in African energy projects and her historic role in Senegal’s Sangomar Field Development.
• ESG Leader of the Year: bp, recognized for its ambitious emissions reduction targets and commitment to a sustainable energy transition.
• Service Provider of the Year: Africa Global Logistics, praised for enhancing Africa’s logistics and connectivity through energy-sector projects in Angola and Namibia.
• Deal of the Year: Oando PLC, for its strategic acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, doubling its interests in key Nigerian oil fields.
• Local Content Champion: Perenco, acknowledged for prioritizing local workforce development and skill-building across African energy sectors.
• Reformer and Change Maker of the Year: Angola’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, for transformative reforms that position Angola as a leading investment hub.
• Exploration and Production Leader: Woodside Energy, for its groundbreaking deepwater projects, particularly the first oil production from Senegal’s Sangomar Field.
• Gas Monetization Award: EG LNG and Perenco, recognized for driving gas monetization and fostering regional energy security through LNG projects.
• Geoscience and Data Management Project of the Year: TGS/PGS, for leading advancements in geoscience through a vast multi-client data library and seismic data projects across Africa.

In a special nod to future innovators, the ExxonMobil Africa STEM Challenge awarded top honors to a team from Angola, with students from Namibia and Mozambique following closely. This competition underscored the role of youth in shaping Africa’s energy future.

These awards celebrate the visionaries advancing Africa’s path toward energy independence and sustainable development, strengthening the continent’s position on the global energy stage.