Lagos Business School Hosts Inaugural Africa Energy Conference

By Tosin Clegg

Africa’s fast-growing energy sector is set to receive a major boost as industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers converge for the maiden edition of the Africa Energy Conference (AEC 2020), scheduled to hold on October 31, 2020, as a digital webinar hosted by Lagos Business School.

The conference, themed “Future of Energy Solutions in Emerging Economies,” is an initiative of the Energy Club at Lagos Business School and is positioned to become a continental platform for high-level dialogue on the evolving dynamics of Africa’s energy landscape.

According to the organizers, the Africa Energy Conference was conceived to serve as a melting pot for players across all arms of the energy industry from power generation and gas processing to renewable energy, finance, and policy. The event seeks to promote collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders addressing Africa’s urgent energy access challenges.

Speaking ahead of the event, Obiora Nwokoye, the Pioneer President of the Energy Club at Lagos Business School, explained the vision behind the conference:

“The Africa Energy Conference was born out of a recognition that Africa’s energy future will not be defined by isolated efforts but by the convergence of ideas and collaboration across borders,” Nwokoye said.
“We wanted to create a space where entrepreneurs, regulators, investors, and technology leaders can meet on equal footing to discuss the practical solutions that will power the continent’s next phase of growth.”

The inaugural conference will feature an impressive lineup of industry luminaries, including Austin Avuru, Managing Director and CEO of Seplat Petroleum Development Company; Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, President of the Nigerian Gas Association; Bolaji Osunsanya, CEO of Axxela Limited; and Mohammed Mijindadi, Managing Director of GE Gas Power Systems Nigeria.

Discussions at AEC 2020 will focus on three major tracks:

• Finance & Disruptive Business Models, exploring innovative financing and investment frameworks to scale access to energy in Africa.
• Technology Access, highlighting the impact of Industry 4.0, renewable integration, energy storage, and digital grid technologies.
• Public Policy, addressing licensing reforms, regulatory frameworks, and opportunities in Africa’s power, gas, and renewable energy markets.
  The Africa Energy Conference 2020 aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which seeks to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy by 2030. Organizers expect more than 1,000 senior energy professionals and invited guests to participate, alongside sponsors and policy representatives from across Africa and beyond. Observers say the conference could mark the beginning of a long-term tradition of collaboration and research-driven dialogue in Africa’s energy sector a vital step toward realizing the continent’s vast but untapped energy potential.