The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has called for an industry-wide boycott of the upcoming Africa Energies Summit, citing concerns over the alleged lack of Black African representation in the leadership of the event’s organising company.
The summit, scheduled to be held in London from May 12 to 14 and hosted by Frontier Energy Network, has promoted itself as “Africa’s Premier Global Upstream Conference.” However, the AEC said the company’s leadership structure does not include Black African professionals, raising serious concerns about representation in a forum dedicated to Africa’s energy future.
In a statement released on March 11 in Johannesburg, NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, said the situation contradicts the summit’s Africa-focused branding and undermines the principle of local participation in the continent’s energy sector.
“We will not accept being ‘Blacked-out’ of the oil and gas industry. We want an industry that is welcoming and open, that is inclusive and supportive. People like Daniel Davidson take the opposite approach by refusing to hire Black Africans,” Ayuk stated.
The chamber argued that African professionals and organisations have long played a leading role in developing and defending the continent’s oil and gas sector, advocating for better fiscal policies, licensing opportunities and a just energy transition aligned with Africa’s development priorities.
According to the AEC, it is inconsistent for companies to host conferences centred on Africa’s energy future while failing to meaningfully include African professionals in leadership, recruitment and decision-making processes.
“Local content cannot remain a talking point reserved for conference stages and policy papers. It must be reflected in hiring, leadership development, supplier opportunities and access across the energy value chain,” the statement said.
The chamber pointed to Fortesa Corporation, led by Rogers Beall, as an example of a company demonstrating a strong commitment to African participation in the energy sector. Operating the Gadiaga Gas Field in Senegal, Fortesa has prioritised employing African professionals and supporting local capacity development.
Ayuk praised such models, noting that companies investing in local talent and skills development are helping to strengthen Africa’s energy industry while ensuring that Africans remain central to discussions about the continent’s resources.
He also warned that perceptions of exclusion could damage the credibility of the oil and gas sector at a time when it faces increasing criticism from climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, and other anti–fossil fuel campaigners.
“When Frontier and the Africa Energies Summit engage in these discriminatory behaviors, it feeds the narrative that the industry does not care about Black people or African communities,” Ayuk said.
The African Energy Chamber emphasized that Africa’s energy future must not only be built around the continent’s resources but also around its people, urging companies to ensure that African professionals are fully represented across the sector.
“The message is clear,” the statement concluded. “Africa’s oil and gas future must be built not only in Africa, but with Africans at its center.”
The call for a boycott is expected to intensify debate within the global energy industry about local content, representation and the role of African professionals in shaping the continent’s energy future.
