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In a landmark move aimed at fostering regional cooperation and standardizing the regulatory environment for the oil and gas sector, petroleum regulators across Africa—led by Nigeria—have officially launched the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF). The initiative is designed to harmonize regulatory frameworks across the continent, thereby attracting significant investment into Africa’s rapidly expanding energy markets.
The official signing of the AFRIPERF charter took place in Accra, Ghana, during the Africa Oil Week conference. The signing ceremony was presided over by Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), who has been instrumental in driving the initiative forward.
The forum brings together regulatory bodies from 16 African countries, with eight nations—Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Togo—already having formally ratified the charter. Another seven countries have voiced their support for AFRIPERF and are currently undergoing internal consultations to finalize their participation.
Komolafe emphasized the importance of this collaboration by highlighting the key milestones that led to AFRIPERF’s formation. These include its initial announcement at the 8th Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC), its official unveiling at NOG 2024, and the drafting of its founding charter. “With the activation of our Executive and Technical Committees, along with the Secretariat, we are laying the foundation for a robust operational structure that will deliver tangible results, backed by accountability and defined timelines,” Komolafe stated.
The mission of AFRIPERF is to establish a continent-wide benchmark for regulatory excellence, aiming to:
- Promote collaboration among African regulators
- Ensure transparency and consistency in policy enforcement
- Tackle cross-border issues such as the regional trade of natural gas, carbon emissions regulation, and the digital transformation of the energy sector
AFRIPERF’s operational structure will include an Executive Committee comprised of heads of regulatory agencies, a Technical Committee of industry experts, and a Secretariat, which will be hosted on a rotational basis by member countries. In the near future, AFRIPERF plans to conduct elections to appoint its inaugural Chairperson and to determine the permanent location of its headquarters.
The formation of AFRIPERF is seen as part of a larger push by African nations to align with international best practices in energy governance, while also seeking a stronger voice in global energy policy discussions. By creating a unified regulatory platform, African countries aim to reduce investment risks, simplify compliance for energy companies, and improve the efficiency of cross-border energy projects.
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This announcement comes shortly after Nigeria’s latest milestone in upstream development, where the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), in collaboration with the TotalEnergies and Sapetro Consortium, signed a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPL) 2000 and 2001. This deal marks the first PSC in Nigeria to include both crude oil and natural gas exploration and production, underscoring the country’s leadership role in shaping Africa’s future energy landscape.