By Ajong Mbapndah L*
Africa’s vast energy potential was front and center at the 2025 African Energy Week (AEW) in Cape Town, where Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President Africa for TotalEnergies, delivered a message that resonated across the industry: Africa is not just part of the global energy story — it can define it.
Sangster reminded delegates that energy on the continent is not an abstract debate about emissions or transitions, but a human imperative. “Access to energy is fundamental to human development,” he said. “Wherever energy availability rises, so does the Human Development Index. Yet, 600 million Africans still live without electricity. That is the task before us.”
At a time when the global conversation often pits the energy transition against Africa’s right to industrialize, his words carried weight. For TotalEnergies, Africa has never been a footnote. It is a place where the company has operated for nearly a century, where almost half of its exploration budget is now directed, and where it sees not only reserves but a chance to power development and create lasting value. During AEW, Pan African Visions Managing Editor Ajong Mbapndah L sat down with Sangster on September 30, 2025, to talk about the company’s history, its flagship projects, and the path ahead as Africa balances development, sustainability, and global expectations.
May we start with your general take on the 2026 African Energy Week ?
African Energy Week has truly become the continent’s premier forum for energy dialogue. What struck me this year was the maturity of the conversations and the urgency in the room. The focus is no longer on whether Africa should participate in the global energy transition — that is taken as a given — but on how it can do so while also meeting its urgent development needs. With so many still lacking electricity, the stakes are real, and AEW provides the rare opportunity for governments, investors, regulators, and communities to sit together and craft a shared agenda. For us at TotalEnergies, it is invaluable because it allows us to listen directly to African voices and align our work with the realities on the ground.
TotalEnergies has been part of the African energy story for nearly a century. How would you sum up that experience, and what contributions stand out ?
Our journey in Africa has been one of partnership, resilience, and learning. From our early days in the Gulf of Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, and Angola, we have built projects that became pillars of local economies. Over time, we’ve expanded into new areas such as Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania, while recently adding four licenses in Liberia and securing new offshore rights in Nigeria and Congo. Each of these steps reflects our belief that Africa is central to our future.
But it’s not just about barrels of oil or cubic meters of gas. In Uganda, the Tilenga and EACOP projects alone have already created more than 20,000 jobs, invested $1.2 billion locally, and delivered over 1.5 million training hours. In Gabon, we’ve eliminated routine flaring by capturing and monetizing gas that would otherwise be wasted. In Nigeria, we’ve worked hand in hand with partners to revive exploration, securing licenses that hadn’t been awarded to international companies in more than a decade in an exploration round. These are not isolated projects; they are part of a long-standing commitment to leave lasting value wherever we operate.
From your perspective in Europe, there’s often pushback against Africa using its oil and gas. What is Europe missing in this debate, and how does TotalEnergies engage to bridge the gap ?
What Europe sometimes misses is the human face of Africa’s energy poverty. Six hundred million people without electricity is not a statistic — it is mothers cooking with firewood, students trying to study by candlelight, and economies constrained by lack of power. When the conversation is reduced to “end fossil fuels now,” it risks overlooking the realities on the ground here.
We at TotalEnergies work to bridge that gap by engaging policymakers in Europe and international agencies to ensure Africa’s voice is heard. Even the International Energy Agency now acknowledges that without new oil and gas projects, global supply will fall off a cliff. For Africa, the issue is not whether to develop its oil and gas; it is how to do so responsibly and in a way that generates revenues governments can use to fund schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. Africa cannot be locked out of the investments it needs to power its own future.
In your AEW address, you said Africa can place itself at the center of global energy security and diversification. What trends give you hope ?
What excites me is the determination I see from African governments to attract investment, and the natural diversity of resources on the continent. In Nigeria and Angola, we’re seeing real reforms aimed at creating stability and predictability for investors. Africa is blessed not just with oil and gas, but with extraordinary solar, wind, and hydropower potential. That combination positions the continent not just as a participant in global energy diversification, but as a leader.
Equally important, African leaders are speaking with a more unified voice. Platforms like AEW show that Africa is not waiting for others to dictate its role. It is actively shaping its energy future. That sense of agency is one of the most encouraging trends I’ve witnessed in years.
You mentioned operations from Congo to Liberia, Nigeria, and Uganda. How has the experience been like doing business in these environments, and what could strengthen investment climates further ?
The experiences have been diverse. In Nigeria, decades of operations have taught us how to navigate complexity while contributing to a dynamic market. In Liberia, as a newer frontier, the openness of the government and communities is encouraging, but long-term stability will be the key to sustaining investment. Across all these countries, what we consistently advocate for is predictability — clear fiscal regimes, respect for contracts, and regulations that stand the test of time. Infrastructure that supports operations is also vital. If governments can provide stability and clarity, Africa will attract capital that could otherwise flow elsewhere.
On key ongoing projects, you mentioned one in Angola and the Tilenga/EACOP in Uganda and Tanzania. Could you shed more light on those, the progress being made, and their economic impact ?
The Tilenga project and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a perfect example of Africa’s potential. At over 1,400 kilometers, EACOP will link Uganda’s oil reserves to international markets and unlock billions in revenues for the country. The project has already created more than 20,000 jobs, spurred local business growth, and invested heavily in training. It is not just a pipeline; it is an economic lifeline that will power Uganda’s development for decades.
In Angola, we have several milestones. Production has begun at Begonia and CLOV Phase 3, adding 60,000 of barrels per day of new production. In addition, the Kaminho FPSO project is advancing well and it is forecast to start up in 2028. These projects are transforming local economies while strengthening Africa’s role in global energy security.
Environmental activists have criticized projects like EACOP. What’s being done to ease concerns, and what message would you like to share with them ?
We recognize that projects like EACOP come with responsibility. That’s why we’ve worked extensively with local communities —households impacted have been fairly compensated, and resettlements have been handled with dignity. We’ve built new homes and provided support to communities to ensure they benefit from the project.
From an environmental perspective, we’ve taken measures to protect sensitive ecosystems, including safeguarding chimpanzee populations and limiting the impact on wildlife habitats. Modern monitoring systems have been built into the pipeline design to minimize risk.
To activists, I would say: don’t reduce Africa’s complex realities to what is trending on social media. Yes, there are risks, but there are also enormous opportunities to lift millions out of poverty. Our commitment is to operate responsibly, to listen to local voices, and to ensure projects deliver both energy and sustainability.
Beyond oil and gas, what other energy initiatives is TotalEnergies pursuing across Africa ?
We’re investing significantly in renewables. In South Africa and Morocco, we have large solar and wind portfolios growing rapidly. In Uganda, Angola and South Africa we’re building up electricity capacity, and we’re also exploring hydropower in several markets. Natural gas is another area where we see enormous potential as a transition fuel — it offers a cleaner bridge while renewables scale up. Our philosophy is one of being a “multi-energy” company, hence we will develop both hydrocarbons and renewables. Africa deserves access to every form of modern energy that can power its growth sustainably.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes and fears for the future of cooperation between TotalEnergies and Africa ?
I hope that Africa continues to shape its own energy destiny boldly, and that companies like ours remain trusted partners in that journey. I want to see more African talent rising through the industry, more projects that bring lasting social and economic impact, and more opportunities seized to unlock the continent’s vast potential.
I fear that external pressures — particularly around fossil fuels — could choke off the financing Africa desperately needs. If that happens, the result would not be a faster transition, but deeper inequality. That is what we must avoid.
TotalEnergies has been a strong supporter of AEW. Can stakeholders count on your continued partnership ?
Without hesitation. African Energy Week is far more than an industry event. It is Africa’s platform to speak in its own voice, to set its own agenda, and to chart its own path in the global conversation. We have been here for nearly a century, and we are not going anywhere. You can count on TotalEnergies to remain a committed partner as Africa writes the next chapter of its energy story.
*Culled from October Edition of PAV Magazine
