How Africa Can Win the Energy Race: Dr. Dapo Ayoola Breaks It Down.
As Africa’s energy sector evolves, challenges in workforce development, investment dynamics, and renewable energy adoption take center stage. Dr. Dapo Ayoola, Group Managing Consultant at Zenith Professional Training and CEO of the Sub-Saharan Upstream Oil and Gas Summit and Exhibition, shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Tanzania Petroleum.
Building Competence in Africa’s Energy Workforce .
Africa has been active in oil and gas exploration for decades, yet the continent continues to face a shortage of skilled professionals capable of sustaining the industry. Dr. Ayoola elaborated:
“Exploration and production of crude and natural gas is no longer limited to the big four of Libya, Nigeria, Angola, and Algeria. Across the continent, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, new technologies have enabled more exploration, discoveries, and production. However, despite these advancements, Africa is yet to develop the manpower necessary to drive the industry on the continent.”
Human capacity development companies like Zenith Professional Training are working to bridge this gap. Dr. Ayoola highlighted their commitment to continually revitalizing training programs to address Africa’s unique needs.
“At Zenith Professional Training, we keep revitalizing our courses to ensure that we support the continent in developing skills across all sectors like business leadership, innovation management, new technologies, as well as energy finance and investment management,” he said.
He stressed the importance of creating specialists who can lead sustainable business growth. “Our curriculums are aimed at supporting African energy specialists to lead innovation and sustainable business growth on the continent as global experts who understand how to turn local challenges into success factors,” Dr. Ayoola emphasized.
Key Challenges for Sub-Saharan Investors.
The energy sector offers significant opportunities, but Dr. Ayoola outlined major hurdles that investors face in the upstream oil and gas sector.
“As I said above, the oil and gas landscape in Africa is changing so fast, and this comes with associated challenges that investors may be worried about,” he stated.
He outlined three primary concerns for potential investors:
1.National Fiscal Policies: “Frequent changes to industry laws, from licensing processes to taxation and banking create uncertainty for investors. A country’s ease of doing business ranking significantly influences investor decisions on investment destinations.”
2.Scale of Discoveries and Infrastructure Needs: “The level and volume of discoveries in a nation or region affect decision-making because they determine the infrastructure required. Smaller discoveries might deter investors due to the high costs of developing infrastructure.”
3.Specialist Human Capital: “Investors must also be conscious of the scarcity of skilled professionals and plan for training or importing talent.”
The Role of Renewable Energy.
While oil and gas remain dominant, renewable energy holds tremendous promise in shaping Africa’s energy landscape.
“Notwithstanding continuing investment in oil and gas exploration and production, the role and importance of renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa are very exciting,” Dr. Ayoola stated.
He pointed to Africa’s natural advantages in solar, wind, and hydropower, calling for intentional investment in research and technology development. “Renewable energy is the future in a continent that can easily leverage solar, wind, and hydropower. Given the natural gifts of sun, waterways, and wind, the continent should be intentional about research and development of technologies needed to be competitive in renewable energy production and distribution,” he said.
Shaping the Future.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Ayoola remains optimistic about Africa’s potential. He believes collaboration between governments, investors, and human capacity development companies will be key to unlocking the continent’s energy potential and positioning it as a global leader in the sector.
