By Adonis Byemelwa
NJ Ayuk, the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, did not simply deliver a speech in Dakar; he delivered a jolt. Speaking recently at the MSGBC 2025 Energy Conference, he cut straight to the core of what will define West Africa’s next chapter: investment, ambition, and the courage to believe the region can shape its own trajectory.
His opening words carried the weight of someone who has spent years listening to communities, investors, and policymakers wrestle with the same dilemma — the continent cannot unlock its promise without bold financial commitment, and the world will not wait for those who hesitate.
Switching smoothly between French and English, he spoke in a way that felt less like a keynote and more like a call to action aimed at Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Conakry’s delegation, all of whom filled the hall with a sense that something bigger than a conference was unfolding.
What immediately caught the room’s attention was his declaration that “Dakar has become the energy home of Africa.” Not a symbolic remark, but one that reflected the new reality.
With major projects now coming online and more countries joining the race to produce, he wanted the region to own that momentum, not treat it like a temporary high. Furthermore, he pushed that thought further, telling the audience, “Everything is possible in Africa. We are on an energy journey, and we must continue. Exploration must go on.”
That point landed sharply with delegates from Conakry, who have recently accelerated exploration efforts after years of hesitation. Ayuk praised the region’s awakening, saying it was time to “see the potential of a new world” emerging in West Africa’s sedimentary basins.
He hinted at seismic data, emerging prospects, and early technical signals, even referencing industry leaders like Lemming, whose forecasts suggest the basin’s best chapters are still ahead. According to Ayuk, “Much investment is coming, and we still have more to fight for.”
From there, he shifted into a more personal, almost conversational tone, reflecting on how much the region has changed. He did not shy away from the competitive global landscape either.
With a disarming ease, he joked, “We are not competing with each other; we compete with Turkey, with the best investment markets in the world.” The message was clear: West Africa’s benchmark is not the country next door; it is the global frontier of energy finance and industrial transformation.
Ayuk’s focus on people, not just projects, gave the speech a grounded, human edge. He repeatedly circled back to local content as the bedrock of any sustainable industry. “Our people are the foundation of our region,” he said. “Use our people.
Train them. Hire them. Promote them.” He emphasised women’s leadership in energy, insisted that young people must be brought into the industry early, and warned that regional integration without trained local capacity will only lead to frustration. It was a blunt message, softened only by his encouragement that the region still has time to get this right.
Delegates from Gambia to Mauritania nodded throughout the room as he spoke. They understood the subtext: the projects are essential, but the people are what will anchor long-term value. Without that, even the most significant gas finds will not carry the region far.
When NJ Ayuk closed his address at the MSGBC energy summit, he did more than talk about dollars and pipelines; he drew a stark picture of the human cost behind the numbers.
Pointing out that around 600 million Africans still lack reliable access to electricity, he framed the energy gap not as a statistic but as a barrier to daily life: children studying by candlelight, clinics without power for essential medicine, and economies stalled at the starting line.
“This is now a human rights issue,” he said, meeting the audience with a steady gaze that suggested he had seen these gaps with his own eyes. It was a line that grounded the technical conversation in human experience, reminding everyone that energy access affects dignity as much as development.
He continued by weaving his message in both French and English, making his call for investment feel both personal and universal. “We must invest in the keystone of our region,” Ayuk insisted, challenging governments and financiers to stop dithering on the sidelines.
He spoke about exploration in Conakry and new geological prospects that promise more than resource deposits; they hold the promise of jobs, industries, and resilient local markets.
“Everything is possible in Africa,” he said, not as a slogan but as a belief born from witnessing projects evolve from wildcat ideas into concrete achievements. In his telling, exploration is not a gamble; it is a message that the region is poised for tangible breakthroughs if capital and confidence move together.
By the time he pivoted to people, the engineers, women leaders, and young technicians, the speech had taken on the tone of a shared vision rather than a corporate briefing. “We must use our people, train them, hire them, promote them,” he urged, making it clear that building local capacity is not optional but essential.
His insistence that women and young people must be at the centre of this industry resonated with many listening, especially as he drew a contrast between internal competition and global aspiration.
“We do not compete with each other; we compete with Turkey and the best investment prospects in the world,” he said, a reminder that the benchmark for success lies beyond regional borders. By the time he stepped away, what lingered was not merely a strategic directive but a lived sense that West Africa’s energy moment, powered by money, people, and unity, is now within reach.
You could feel it, the sense that if the region can harness its people, its capital, its political will, and its newfound confidence, then this could genuinely be West Africa’s defining energy decade. Ayuk ended, echoing the tone that had carried him through the entire address: “Let us continue. We are only at the beginning.”
