By Synthia Lateu & Prince Kuripati
BUEA, September 30, 2023 – Pan-African Visions’ Managing Editor Ajong Mbapndah L has been nominated for the African Energy Week Media Award 2023, for his role in promoting energy sustainability.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) announced his nomination alongside other media professionals under the category of Energy Media Award. Pan African Visions which operates the news website, www.panafricanvisions.com and the monthly PAV magazine has over the years widely covered issues related to African Energy.
The news organ, through its managing editor, has raised perspectives about the evolution of this sector on the African continent. The publication has over the years reported forcefully on the energy sector in Africa, interviewed a broad range of local and international actors in the sector and dedicated several cover page magazine stories to leading stakeholders hard at work to change the energy fortunes of the continent.
Scheduled to take place on October 17, the AEW 2023 Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony aim to celebrate and recognize the individuals and companies who continue to make extraordinary contributions towards advancing the industry.
The African Energy Week Media Award recognizes outstanding achievements in journalism, communication, and media coverage within the energy sector. It celebrates individuals or media organizations that have demonstrated exceptional storytelling, in-depth analysis, and effective communication of energy-related topics to a wide audience.
It acknowledges the recipient’s ability to effectively inform, educate, and engage the public on critical energy issues and recognizes commitment to journalistic integrity, accuracy, and the promotion of informed public discourse surrounding energy-related topics. It covers journalism, marketing, research, analytics, broadcasting, filmmaking and other forms of media.
Held annually, the AEW is an African Energy Chamber (AEC) convened event which unites African governments and policymakers with global investors and project developers. The AEW as such does play a critical role in fostering and furthering the key objectives of the African Energy Chamber. One of AEC’s key objectives is to eradicate energy poverty in Africa by 2030. To achieve this objective, AEC has earmarked oil and gas as the key enablers to transform Africa’s energy sector. As such, this has seen AEC establish close working relations with various African oil companies.
Reflecting on the past year and the strides taken by various African oil companies to deliver sustainable energy solutions, AEC identified four companies that have made tremendous efforts in tapping Africa’s over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. These four were nominated in the National Oil Company of the Year Award category. Namely, they include Angola’s Sonangol, Uganda’s National Oil Company, Algeria’s Sonatrach and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.
In as much as the key objective is to eradicate energy poverty by 2030 and light up the entire continent with electricity, AEC knows that there is a need to strike a balance between the extraction of resources (oil and gas) and implementing sustainable environmental and social activities. Owing to this, AEC has partnered with several Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) companies. AEC recognised these ESG companies when it released the nominees for the ESG Company of the Year Award category. The picked companies include Baker Hughes, Oando PLC and General Electric.
Oil and gas are the two resources which AEC and other energy stakeholders have picked to be the two main energy sources if Africa is to achieve its target of eradicating energy poverty. Many gas companies have quickly embraced this and are already working to light up the continent. At the upcoming AEW 2023 Award ceremony, one of these companies will receive special recognition. The competing companies in the category include UTM FLNG, Renergen, Congo LNG (Eni and SNPC) and Perenco LNG.
Some companies in the energy industry have demonstrated a keen willingness to undertake some massive changes including high-risk ones to put the continent on the right trajectory to meet its energy objectives. These companies were honoured by receiving nominations in the Operational Excellence Leader category.
At the forefront of spearheading the oil and gas companies, ESG companies and all other institutions involved in the African energy industry are chief executive officers. It is these individuals who are tasked with leading companies towards success. Any achievements that energy companies record can in part be attributed to the efforts put in by the CEOs. To recognise these individuals, AEW 2023 opened a CEO of the Year Award category. The recognised individuals who will be vying to get the much-deserved accolade include Michael Sangster of TotalEnergies, Gillain-Alexandre Huart of Engie Access, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero of First E&P, Sebastiao Gaspar Martins of Sonangol and Edson Rodrigues Dos Santos of ETU Energies.
High-profile delegates are expected to grace the AEW 2023 Awards ceremony hence making it a not-to-be-missed event. Serenading the event attendees will be a host of African artists.
The nominees are classified under categories including, National Oil Company of the Year Award, ESG Company of the Year Award, Gas Monetization Award, CEO of the Year Award, Energy Media Award, and Operational Excellence Leader.
AEW unites African energy policymakers and stakeholders with global investors to discuss and maximize opportunities within the continent’s entire energy industry.
