Africa Oil Week (AOW) is set to take place this week in Dubai, and yet no African oil producers are taking part in the “Africa-focused” event. With Africa’s oil and gas Ministers and key stakeholders coming to Cape Town for African Energy Week (AEW) 2021, AOW has been left to finally admit the truth – that the organizers have misled Africa and its people.

For months, AOW has been misrepresenting speakers and high-level participants at their event, all of which are actually coming to Cape Town for AEW 2021. Now, with the release of the event program, the event has finally unveiled that AOW is not interested in African oil and gas producers taking part in the conversation, despite the event apparently being “the voice of exploration and production.” 

AOW needs to apologize to Africans. The London-based group knew all along that they were lying and misrepresenting African producer participation in Dubai. They knew this was not true. They were advised not to do it, but they purposefully and wilfully mislead everyone, all for the sake of money.

In Cape Town at AEW 2021, African producers will take the stage. With a producer dedicated platform discussion, in which leading organizations including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the African Petroleum Producers Organization; and Africa’s producing countries including Equatorial Guinea; Congo; Ghana; Namibia; Niger; and Senegal, will be driving the discussion – Africa is focused on Africa’s oil and gas industry future.

AOW led the most vicious anti-African oil and gas industry campaign the continent has ever seen. There is COVID-19 in Dubai, just like there is in Africa. Lying to everyone that Africa is dangerous and a bad place to do business, all because of the pandemic, was wrong. AEW 2021 will take place this week with the attendance and participation of all the African producers. Committed to Africa’s energy and economic future, AEW 2021 has placed African people and African energy at the center of the event’s agenda. In Cape Town, African producers will take the stage and lead the continent into a new era of growth.

AEW 2021, in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy DMRE, is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2021 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments.