In line with the African Energy Chamber’s (https://EnergyChamber.org/) repeated calls on African governments and oil companies to do more to protect the security of energy infrastructure in Africa, the chamber is endorsing Energy Ops-Security Agora (Agora Nexus).
The closed-door conference already saw two of its editions being organised in Lagos this year, one in April and one last October, held at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence. While addressing key security issues of Nigeria’s oil and energy sector, it remains the only such initiative dedicated to the matter.
Oil and gas resources and energy commodities such as petroleum products, crude oil and LNG, along with their related physical infrastructure, are prone to security risks all across the world, and especially in West Africa. Oil producing nations such as Nigeria are regular victims of energy theft, vandalism and piracy, which jeopardize energy security and the entire economy of oil-dependent countries.
In line of the growing interest for addressing the issue of energy infrastructure security, Energy Ops-Security Agora will be coming back for a third edition in Lagos on April 21st-23rd, 2020 (oil & gas-focused), a dedicated power sector security Agora in Abuja and organizing its first edition in Senegal on March 18th, 2020.
The details of the H1 2020 calendar can be found below:
Energy-Ops Security Agora Senegal (Oil & Energy focused)– Dakar, Senegal. March 18th 2020 http://bit.ly/34QRcD0
Energy-Ops Security Agora Lagos (Oil & Gas Focused) – Lagos, Nigeria. April 21st – 22nd 2020 http://bit.ly/2DVU1qB
Power-Ops Security Agora Abuja (Power Focused) – Abuja, Nigeria. April 28th 2020 http://bit.ly/2r4eVB0
The African Energy Chamber highlighted security issues as a major challenge facing the industry in its latest Africa Energy Outlook 2020. As such, it endorses the initiative as being key to bringing together senior players and security heads from the operators, regulators, and service companies to tackle and discuss major challenges like: kidnap for ransom, pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, port security and community collaboration.
“The energy sector is central to the economic stability of the whole continent, and especially West Africa where oil is the pillar of economic growth,” said Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the African Energy Chamber and CEO at the Centurion Law Group. “Security threats can result in major disruption to energy operations across the value-chain, and are very costly for the sector and African economies,” he added.
“It is a fantastic step forward for Agora Nexus to have endorsement from the African Energy Chamber. Our objective as a business is to address real issues the industry is facing and not to be just ‘another industry event’. Security is a massive issue for the Oil & Energy sector and it has been pleasing to see the communities’ reception towards the Agora initiatives throughout 2019. I look forward to 2020 as we grow out in other geographical locations” Phil Manny, Founder & Director – Agora Nexus.
The Chamber equally applauds all initiatives taken to ensure the security of energy assets in the region, including the recent collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and international navies.
Such collaboration resulted last month in the launching of the Exercise Grand African NEMO 2019, a five-day exercise during which navies are conducting anti-piracy, anti-crude oil theft, search and rescue and anti-poaching drills operations.