As the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies wraps up its flagship conference in Cape Town, South Africa (September 29 – October 3), the spotlight has firmly shifted to the sector’s unsung heroes and game-changers.
The AEW 2025 winners were unveiled during the prestigious African Energy Awards, a ceremony that recognises innovation, leadership, and impact in the energy sector.
Among the top honours is the Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating individuals who have made enduring contributions to Africa’s energy landscape.
New categories such as the ESG Leader energy award highlight sustainability efforts, while the Local Content Champion title recognises companies driving homegrown capacity.
Transformational leadership was also spotlighted through the Reformer of the Year award, alongside financial innovation in the Deal of the Year energy category.
In addition, groundbreaking policies and projects were along acknowledged with the Gas Monetization Strategy award, showcasing Africa’s potential in global gas markets.
These accolades aren’t just trophies; they’re a testament to the determination, innovation, and forward-thinking leadership propelling Africa’s energy landscape toward a sustainable, inclusive future.
From frontier explorers to policy reformers, the honourees embody the continent’s untapped potential in oil, gas, renewables, and beyond.
Lifetime Achievement: Icons Shaping Africa’s Energy Legacy
The Lifetime Achievement Awards, including the prestigious Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award (named after the late OPEC Secretary General), saluted six luminaries whose decades-long contributions have redefined the sector.
These honourees have navigated geopolitical shifts, economic headwinds, and technological leaps to position Africa as a global energy powerhouse.
- François Perrodo (Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award): The Perenco chairman has transformed his family-led firm into a beacon of innovation in Central and West Africa. His focus on frontier exploration, ethical production, and gas-driven growth has unlocked remote basins while prioritising environmental stewardship.
- Adriano Mongini (Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award): As the driving force behind Azule Energy, Angola’s largest independent producer, Mongini has championed holistic development. His tenure emphasises skills training, local procurement, and nation-building, turning oil and gas into engines of social progress.
- Katrina Fisher (Lifetime Achievement Award): ExxonMobil Angola’s leader has spearheaded bold exploration campaigns while breaking barriers in STEM education. Her initiatives have empowered thousands of young Africans, particularly women, creating a diverse pipeline of talent for tomorrow’s energy challenges.
- Sebastião Gaspar Martins (Lifetime Achievement Award): The architect of Sonangol’s renaissance, Martins elevated Angola’s state oil company from operator to global contender. His strategic reforms have cemented Angola as Africa’s second-largest producer, blending commercial acumen with national pride.
- Haitham Al Ghais (Lifetime Achievement Award): OPEC’s Secretary General has been a steadfast advocate for Africa’s voice in international forums. By prioritising equitable financing, just energy transitions, and sustainable growth, Al Ghais ensures the continent’s resources fuel inclusive global progress.
- Jubril Adewale “Wale” Tinubu (Lifetime Achievement Award): Oando’s Group CEO has steered his firm through mergers, divestitures, and market volatility, evolving it into a pan-African powerhouse. Tinubu’s vision exemplifies resilience, turning adversity into opportunities for indigenous-led expansion.
These visionaries remind us that true legacy in energy isn’t measured in barrels or megawatts alone; it’s in the lives uplifted and institutions fortified.
ESG and Local Empowerment: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce
Sustainability isn’t a fashion statement here; it’s a blueprint. The ESG Leader of the Year went to ExxonMobil for its STEM Africa programme, which has skilled over 3,000 students and educators in Nigeria, Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique.
This initiative bridges classroom theory with industry realities, creating a ripple effect of innovation and inclusion.
A separate highlight? Namibia’s triumph in the ExxonMobil Foundation STEM Africa Regional Finals, underscoring youth-led solutions in energy.
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In local content, Levene Energies claimed Champion of the Year for its West African projects, which leverage homegrown suppliers, mentorship, and talent development to forge self-reliant industries.
Meanwhile, Woodside Energy earned International Local Content Champion honours for its cross-border skills transfer and community empowerment efforts, proving multinationals can be true partners in progress.
Operational Excellence: From Reforms to Record-Breaking Deals
Policy and execution took centre stage with the Reformer of the Year award to Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
By rolling out the Petroleum Industry Act, they’ve streamlined licensing, introduced flexible production-sharing contracts, and greenlit billions in final investment decisions, ushering in a new era of transparency and investor confidence.
Azule Energy dominated Exploration & Production with its Agogo FPSO launch and Angola’s inaugural dedicated gas find, de-risking vast potential in the Lower Congo Basin and ramping up output.
Deal-makers cheered Vitol as Deal of the Year for savvy acquisitions in Côte d’Ivoire’s Baleine field and Congo LNG, bolstering low-carbon gas plays in West and Central Africa.
Service excellence shone through Technip Energies, lauded as Service Provider of the Year. Their feats in LNG, hydrogen, and decarbonisation from Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) to Rovuma set benchmarks in safety, quality, and African value add.
On the CSR front, ConocoPhillips’ two-decade Bioko Island Malaria Elimination Project in Equatorial Guinea stole the show.
This effort has slashed malaria rates, strengthened health infrastructure, and delivered measurable community wins proving energy firms can be health heroes too.
Finally, the Gas Monetisation Strategy award celebrated the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) Development, a Mauritania-Senegal cross-border gem.
Hitting first gas and FLNG operations in 2025, it pioneers MSGBC Basin LNG exports and a replicable model for regional gas hubs.
Kudos to all honourees for not just powering Africa’s engines but igniting its dreams.
Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, climate change, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.
