By Ibrahim Adeyemi, Nigerian Energy Correspondent
The Sahara Group has confirmed its participation in the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2026), scheduled to hold in Abuja from February 2 – 5, 2026.
Themed “Energy for Peace and Prosperity: Securing Our Shared Future”, the summit will bring together policymakers, regulators, operators, and investors to deliberate on Africa’s energy future. For Sahara, the focus is clear: resilience, competitiveness, and collaboration.
Energy Security Takes Centre Stage
With over three decades of experience in Africa’s energy landscape, Sahara Group says its presence at NIES 2026 reflects its commitment to expanding access to reliable and cleaner energy solutions.
Bethel Obioma, Head of Corporate Communications, noted:
“Africa can utilise platforms such as NIES to accelerate dialogue and coordinated actions aimed at transforming and guiding the continent’s energy sector towards global competitiveness, sustainability, and shared prosperity.”
The company intends to emphasise regulatory alignment, local enterprise growth, and human capital development, particularly within the upstream segment.
Aligning Policy for Continental Competitiveness
Dr Tosin Etomi, Head of Commercial & Planning at Asharami Energy, will speak at the session “One Africa, One Regulatory Voice: Aligning Policies for Continental Prosperity and Investment.”
His intervention will highlight the importance of predictable fiscal regimes, cross-border regulatory coordination, and harmonised policy frameworks to attract long-term capital.
Industry analysts argue that regulatory fragmentation across African jurisdictions remains a constraint for investors seeking scale and certainty.
Local Content and Indigenous Capacity Expansion
Leste Aihevba, Chief Technical Officer at Asharami Energy, will contribute to discussions on “Empowering Local Services, African Entrepreneurs & Multinational Partnerships.”
He will focus on strengthening indigenous service ecosystems, reducing operational bottlenecks, and fostering partnerships that enhance resilience in exploration and production.
Local content development remains a core pillar of Nigeria’s upstream strategy under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
Gas as Catalyst for Industrial Growth
Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Head of Integrated Gas Ventures at Asharami Energy, is set to participate in the session “Gas for Growth: Milestones, Momentum and the Road Ahead.”
Her remarks will highlight how natural gas can act as a transition fuel, supporting industrialisation, expanding energy access, and stabilising power generation systems.
Nigeria holds one of Africa’s largest proven gas reserves, yet domestic utilisation and infrastructure gaps persist. Gas-led industrial strategies remain central to policy debates on economic diversification and export competitiveness.
Broader Industry Context
The Nigeria International Energy Summit has evolved into a strategic platform for shaping continental energy narratives.
| Focus Area | Strategic Objective |
|---|---|
| Energy Security | Strengthen supply reliability and resilience |
| Regulatory Alignment | Enhance investment certainty |
| Local Content | Scale indigenous participation |
| Gas Development | Support industrialisation and transition |
Sahara Group operates across upstream, midstream, downstream, power, trading, and infrastructure segments, with a presence spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Implications for Africa’s Energy Trajectory
Observers note that collaboration between operators, regulators, and financiers will be essential to navigating Africa’s evolving energy transition.
Energy security, regulatory predictability, local capacity scaling, and infrastructure expansion remain recurring themes in investor risk assessments.
Sahara’s participation at NIES 2026 positions the company within broader continental efforts to strengthen responsible resource development while maintaining competitiveness across global value chains.
As deliberations begin in Abuja, the summit will test whether dialogue translates into coordinated execution.