Anticipation grows for Olaniwun Ajayi-hosted Energy Leadership Forum during Africa Energy Week

With the website now live, agenda revealed, and first speakers announced, excitement is building for an inaugural strategic leadership forum on "Beyond Divestments: Unleashing Indigenous Capacity to Drive Nigeria’s Upstream Growth" that will be held in Cape Town on 1 October 2025, during Africa Energy Week. 

“With new opportunities opening across the continent, it’s time for indigenous players to take centre stage in driving upstream growth,” says Damilola Salawu, a partner in the Oil & Gas Practice at Olaniwun Ajayi LP. “But real progress requires more than ambition — it takes the right legal, financial, and strategic foundations. This forum is about bringing the key voices together to chart that path forward.”

Those voices include some leading lights of the energy industry. The first announced speakers for the energy leadership forum include Mr Bashorun Oladimeji, Chief Operating Officer at Energia Limited, Mr Adegbite Falade, the new Chair of the Board of Trustees and Governance Council of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), and Mrs Ibi Ogunbiyi, a Partner in Olaniwun Ajayi’s Power and Infrastructure team (widely regarded as Nigeria's flagship practice).

Held on Nigeria Day, 1 October, this strategic, half-day session arrives at a defining moment for the African energy sector. With international oil companies increasingly divesting from mature upstream assets, it’s time for indigenous players to step into leadership. This leadership forum brings together leading energy executives, legal practitioners, policymakers, investors, and development partners to explore:

• policy and legal frameworks under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)

• financing models for indigenous operators, including DFI-backed and blended structures

• legal and operational transitions following asset acquisitions

• regional collaboration for energy security and economic resilience

• case studies from Nigeria and across the continent. 

Olaniwun Ajayi LP won three categories last week at the 12th annual African Legal Awards, including African Law Firm of the Year for West Africa. 

Blending legal insight with strategic pragmatism, the firm has partnered with Africa Legal to catalyse a transformative agenda, empowering African firms to lead upstream development, shape sustainable energy policy, and foster homegrown value across the continent’s energy sector. Sessions at this year’s forum include:

• A keynote address on “Repositioning Nigeria’s Upstream Sector: Policy, Sovereignty, and Indigenous Growth”; 

• “Financing Success: Capital, Innovation, and Scalable Growth Models”

• “From Transition to Transformation: Legal, Strategic, and Operational Levers for Growth”

• A Fire Side Chat on “Scaling with Purpose: Reflections from the Frontline of Africa’s Energy Transition”.

This key strategic forum aligns with Africa Energy Week’s broader themes in 2025, including local content development, upstream investment, and African-led growth.

For more information please visit the official website, and to register your interest to attend please request an invitation via the website or contact scott@africa-legal.com