Making the Case for the Role of Gas in Africa’s Energy Future

The Africa Energy Week (AEW) has become a staple event in the global energy industry’s fall diary. Organised by the African Energy Chamber, its 2025 proceedings enjoyed the presence and support of numerous African governments, industry associations and numerous private entities.

The International Gas Union (IGU) was represented at AEW2025 by its Vice President, Cav. Eng. Khaled AbuBakr who, during the first days of the event (29 September – 1 October 2025), took part in a series of highly topical panels and round table discussions.

On the first day of the event, Mr AbuBakr was invited to participate in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum’s (GECF) workshop on Natural Gas for Africa's Sustainable Development where Mr AbuBakr argued that “Africa is becoming a global powerhouse” and that at “the heart of this growth lies energy, the true driver of development”, with “Gas being the centre of the discussion as it is essential for human progress and global growth”.

The Decarbonization Pathways for African Oil and Gas Panel discussion on the second day of AEW2025 provided the audience with fascinating insights into regional and global decarbonisation commitments of the global Gas industry, with Mr AbuBakr highlighting during his Panel intervention that “natural gas remains one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels, offering immediate air quality and carbon reduction benefits where it displaces more polluting fuels such as coal, diesel, and biomass.”

Also, on the second day of the event, during the Fourth Annual Africa Energy Leadership Dialogue, IGU’s Vice President attended an exclusive roundtable on Bridging the Infrastructure Gap in Africa. In his passionate address, Mr AbuBakr argued that hundreds of millions of people across the continent still lack access to modern energy for cooking, heating, and electricity: “for them, natural gas can provide a cleaner and more efficient alternative to traditional fuels such as wood, charcoal, and diesel, improving health outcomes, freeing up labour (particularly for women and children), and enhancing educational opportunities.”