African banks have been challenged to mobilise resources to support the continent’s energy sector.
Secretary-General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) Farid Ghezali issued the call on Wednesday via videoconference during the 7th Angola Oil & Gas International Conference and Exhibition (AOG 2026).
Ghezali said many viable African energy projects continue to face difficulties due to a lack of financial support.
He said Africa must strengthen its financial capacity, with banks playing a central role.
He also called for the continent’s energy potential to be turned into economic value through investment in infrastructure, refining and gas development, as well as stronger local industries capable of creating value chains, jobs and public revenue.
“The success of our energy sector cannot be measured solely by the number of barrels produced or exported. It must also be measured by the electricity generated, the jobs created and the value returned to our economies,” Ghezali said, according to Angola’s state news agency ANGOP.
He described AOG 2026 as a commitment to creating greater and more lasting value from the continent’s energy resources, reflecting Africa’s ambition to make energy a driver of industrial development and shared prosperity.
Ghezali said Angola’s vision for the sector was aligned with the broader continental ambition, based on the principle that natural resources should support not only production and exports, but also industry, technology, entrepreneurship and regional integration.
The two-day AOG 2026 brings together specialists and companies from the oil and gas sector to discuss issues including exploration and production, energy transition and sustainability.
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