Africa’s Oil and Gas Reforms Unlock Investment Surge Across Key Producers
By Naija Enquirer Staff
Regulatory reform continues to shape Africa’s upstream oil and gas outlook heading into 2026, with major producers reporting tangible gains tied to clearer fiscal terms, institutional restructuring and streamlined licensing processes.
Angola remains a leading example of reform-driven growth, advancing multi-year bid rounds while strengthening governance through the creation of the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency. Incentives such as the incremental production decree have supported renewed exploration success, including ExxonMobil’s Likember-01 discovery and Azule Energy’s gas find in Block 1/14.
These measures have helped keep Angola’s output above one million barrels per day while enabling large-scale developments such as the Kaminho and Agogo projects. The country’s medium-term investment pipeline is now estimated at roughly $70 billion.
In Nigeria, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) continues to guide sector restructuring as Africa’s largest producer targets output of 2.5 million barrels per day. Licensing rounds conducted between 2024 and 2025 have attracted renewed international and domestic interest, with the most recent round offering 50 blocks and seeking up to $10 billion in new capital commitments.
The Republic of Congo is also leveraging regulatory clarity to expand its energy footprint, driving toward 500,000 barrels per day of production while scaling LNG capacity to 3 million tonnes per annum. This push is anchored by a Gas Master Plan, a revised licensing framework and a new gas code. Current developments include TotalEnergies’ Moho Nord investment and the second phase of Congo LNG, which commenced operations in November 2025.
For emerging producers such as Namibia and Uganda, these reform pathways offer a clear blueprint. Establishing stable fiscal regimes early, maintaining predictable contract terms through development phases and aligning upstream and midstream planning are seen as critical to maximizing long-term national value.
Namibia’s Venus and Mopane discoveries are targeting first oil before the end of the decade, while Uganda is moving toward a 2026 startup at the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields, supported by the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
Across the continent, governments and operators continue to assess how policy clarity, licensing stability and regulatory consistency can accelerate drilling activity, unlock gas commercialization and strengthen regional energy security.
