Amanze ChinonyeOil and gas service providers from across Africa have formed a new continental body, the African Local Content Organisation (ALCO), aimed at boosting collaboration, retaining more value from Africa’s multibillion-dollar energy sector, and driving sustainable economic growth.
The organisation was unveiled on Wednesday at the 2025 Namibia Oil and Gas Conference in Windhoek. Membership is open to national associations of service providers in the oil, gas, and mining sectors across Africa. Wole Ogunsanya, Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), introduced ALCO as the private sector arm of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), which represents African governments engaged in oil and gas operations.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe emphasised that the new body will focus on developing human capacity, deploying advanced technology and equipment, mobilising private capital, and executing complex projects. “We have over 70 years of oil and gas experience in Africa. It is time we used that knowledge for Africa first,” Ogunsanya said. The organisation’s official launch is planned for the 2026 African Union Conference, reflecting its strategic importance to Africa’s economic agenda.
Central to ALCO’s strategy is building strong ties with APPO and the African Energy Bank (AEB), a new institution established to finance large-scale energy projects and close the continent’s funding gap.
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Ogunsanya noted that ALCO members are well placed to handle significant parts of projects funded by the AEB, ensuring that contracts, spending, and expertise remain in Africa instead of flowing abroad.
Other key objectives include knowledge exchange among African service providers, joint project execution, equipment sharing, and creating cross-border partnerships. “Through the forum, we can carry out benchmark studies, join forces to solve industry problems, and find partners across the continent.
As Namibia or any other African country develops energy projects, you can count on your African brothers,” Ogunsanya added.
Fourteen African countries, including Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have already joined ALCO. Ogunsanya serves as interim chair, while Senegal’s Ibrahim Talla holds the position of secretary.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has endorsed the initiative. Executive Secretary Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented at the event by NCDMB’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, described ALCO as “a key platform for advancing African local content” and pledged continued institutional support.
Africa’s oil and gas sector has long been dominated by foreign contractors, leading to capital flight and missed opportunities for local industries. By uniting service providers under one umbrella, ALCO seeks to change that dynamic, ensuring that more of the sector’s profits, jobs, and technical know-how stay within Africa.
Stakeholders say the move could help transform the continent’s energy industry from a raw resource exporter into a self-reliant economic driver, with long-term benefits for growth, employment, and industrial capacity.
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