Cape Town: Invest in African Energies is putting a spotlight on the transformative potential of energy projects beyond resource extraction, emphasizing local content, workforce development, and sustainable community impact. A central feature of the conference – the Local Content Roundtable on Day 2, sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) – will explore how energy companies and governments can work together to build African capacity, strengthen local supply chains, and create meaningful employment.
According to African Press Organization, the roundtable will be moderated by Hamlet Morule, Executive Head of Communications and External Affairs at bp South Africa, and will convene industry leaders and policy experts from across the continent. Speakers include Abdulmalik Halilu, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB; Alexander Merson, SVP of Asset Operations at Petrofac; Tony Paul, Key Associate for In-Country Value Addition at Future Energy Partners; Bradford Donohue, CEO of IHRDC; Jorge de Morais, General Manager at KAESO Energy Services; Mor Bakhoum, Technical Secretary at ST-CNSL Senegal; and a senior representative from AGL.
The session will examine practical challenges in local content implementation across Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa – including limited technical skills, underdeveloped SME ecosystems, and inconsistent policy enforcement – as well as showcase how specific projects are delivering tangible economic benefits.
Local content is more than just a compliance requirement. It’s about creating sustainable jobs, developing local supply chains, and empowering communities. Every energy project should leave a tangible legacy for the people and economies where it operates, says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
AEW 2025’s programming underlines that energy development in Africa is shifting from short-term extraction to long-term economic transformation. By embedding workforce development and supplier capacity into core strategies, governments and companies are transferring skills, supporting SMEs, and enabling communities to benefit directly from Africa’s energy growth.
The Local Content Roundtable reinforces that achieving these outcomes requires collaboration, innovation, and consistent policy enforcement. Across the continent, from Nigeria’s petrochemical plants to Angola’s deepwater FPSOs, energy initiatives are now creating enduring value for local economies, expanding skills, and building resilient supply chains.