Energy Security, Regional Trade Take Centre Stage As OTL Africa Marks 20 Years

Africa’s downstream and midstream energy industry is set to explore new investment opportunities, strengthen regional trade and advance energy security as OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week marks its 20th anniversary from October 25 to 30, 2026.

NOP NIGERIA reports that the event, scheduled to hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, will feature a strategic conference and trade exhibition from October 26 to 29, bringing together policymakers, regulators, operators, investors and service providers from across Africa and beyond.

The conference, themed “Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity,” will focus on translating Africa’s energy resources, growing refining capacity and expanding markets into dependable supply, competitive businesses and tangible benefits for consumers.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer at OTL Downstream Development in Africa, Mrs. Joyce Akabogu, said the anniversary edition comes at a consequential moment for Africa’s energy industry, with investment in refining, gas, storage, logistics and emerging energy solutions presenting opportunities to strengthen African production, deepen regional trade and retain more economic value within the continent.

She said, “Africa’s energy security must be measured by what businesses and households experience: reliable supply, assured quality and costs that allow enterprise and everyday life to thrive.”

She added that the conference theme connects these needs with the investment, innovation and cooperation required to achieve them.

She said, “Our theme, ‘Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity,’ connects those needs with the investment, innovation and cooperation required to meet them. OTL 2026 will bring the people who shape these outcomes into the same room.”

Regional energy market integration will be a central focus of the conference, with discussions expected to examine how regulatory cooperation, compatible product standards, efficient trade corridors and improved infrastructure can connect African markets.

The programme will also explore opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area to strengthen petroleum-products trade and support industrial development.

Nigeria’s evolving downstream market will receive particular attention through a session titled “Competition in Nigeria’s New Downstream Market: Balancing Market Power, Investment and Consumer Protection.”

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The session will examine how the market can encourage investment and domestic refining while sustaining fair competition, efficient distribution and consumer confidence.

Speaking further, Akabogu said investment must deliver value across the energy chain, noting that refiners need dependable feedstock and market access, while traders and marketers require predictable rules and efficient logistics.

Consumers, she added, need quality products and reliable supply.

“Bringing these interests together is essential to building a competitive industry that supports shared prosperity,” she said.

The conference programme will also address regulatory convergence in African oil and gas markets, developments in West African fuels markets, integrated petroleum operations and Africa’s energy outlook.

Specialist sessions will examine feedstock strategy and refinery competitiveness, future forecourt solutions and changing customer behaviour, gas and renewables infrastructure, and opportunities in lubricants and petrochemicals.

Dedicated finance and logistics forums will consider ways to mobilise capital for energy businesses and infrastructure, improve tanker shipping and product distribution, and strengthen resilience against supply disruptions.

Alongside the conference, the OTL trade exhibition will provide companies with a platform to showcase products, technologies and services, meet prospective customers and develop partnerships across refining, trading, shipping, storage, logistics, retail, gas and related industries.

The anniversary programme will also feature the 20th Anniversary Industry Dinner and Awards, the Founders’ Fireside Forum, networking engagements and a scheduled Dangote Refinery tour.

NOP NIGERIA