PETAN Unveils Programme for Landmark 10th Anniversary of SAIPEC 2026

As Africa’s energy landscape undergoes rapid transformation, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has announced the full programme for the 10th anniversary edition of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC), scheduled for 10–12 February 2026 at the Eko Convention Center, Lagos.

The milestone edition marks a decade of convening the continent’s most influential oil, gas, and energy leaders. SAIPEC 2026 will once again be delivered in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), NNPC Ltd, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and AOS Orwell, alongside more than 30 national oil companies, ministries, and regulators from across Sub-Saharan Africa.

A Decade of Expansion, Collaboration, and Continental Impact

What began in 2017 as the West Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (WAIPEC), hosting only 148 delegates and two national oil companies, has grown into a fully pan-African platform. By 2025, SAIPEC welcomed more than 1,400 delegates and 23 national oil companies, with expectations of even larger participation in 2026.

The exhibition footprint has surged from 35 exhibitors in its inaugural year to a projected 150+ exhibitors this February, capturing advancements in drilling, digitisation, project engineering, local content solutions, and clean energy transition technologies.

Over the past decade, the platform has catalysed millions of dollars in partnerships and contracts, helping unlock upstream and midstream investments across the continent. According to Mr. Ibe Chubby Ibe, PETAN/SAIPEC Conference Chairman, “SAIPEC has evolved from a regional gathering into Africa’s biggest marketplace for energy dialogue. The 10th anniversary is both a celebration and a call to shape the next decade of sustainable growth, innovation, and African content leadership.”

Inside the 2026 Programme: Conversations Powering the Future

• Day One: Governance, Regulation, and Investment Intelligence

The opening day will feature high-level welcome addresses and keynote reflections on SAIPEC’s decade-long impact. A regulatory leadership panel will interrogate how evolving policies, fiscal systems, and investment frameworks can unlock new exploration and production opportunities.

Country spotlight sessions will present updates on upstream, midstream, refining, and gas developments from key African markets including Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, and Mozambique. The day will close with an Investment Forum exploring capital mobilisation, financial risk management, and funding avenues for emerging energy ventures.

• Day Two: Africa’s Gas Moment and Strengthening Indigenous Capacity

The second day of SAIPEC 2026 will spotlight Africa’s gas opportunity as a catalyst for industrialisation and export growth. Dialogue will focus on LNG development, domestic gas infrastructure, and cross-border collaboration.

Local content and indigenous industry panels will dissect policy frameworks, implementation models, and capacity-building strategies that are reshaping supplier participation across the energy value chain.

The evening will feature the 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner and SAIPEC Awards, recognising organisations and individuals whose leadership has driven Africa’s energy progress over the last decade.

• Day Three: Workforce of the Future and Inclusion Imperatives

The final day shifts to talent, leadership, and diversity. A keynote on the future African energy workforce will set the tone for a DEI Leadership Panel, spotlighting women and youth breaking barriers in technical and executive roles.

The SPE Futures Forum will connect young professionals, engineers, academics, and entrepreneurs, fostering cross-disciplinary approaches to innovation.

SAIPEC 2026 will conclude with a consolidated outcomes report—highlighting recommendations, policy insights, and collaborative pathways for Africa’s next phase of energy expansion.

New Features for SAIPEC’s 10th Year

• The 2026 edition introduces several new platforms designed to enhance technical depth and business exchange:
• In-country investment roundtables
• A Local Content Pitching Session for innovators, suppliers, and indigenous solutions providers
• An expanded technical conference covering engineering, digital optimisation, emissions reduction, and emerging technologies

Networking remains a central pillar of the event, reinforced by curated business receptions, investment lunches, and PETAN’s high-profile Golf Day. Meanwhile, the international exhibition will feature cutting-edge digital tools, field optimisation technologies, and sustainability-driven innovations redefining African operations.

As part of the extended anniversary celebrations, NCDMB will host the Local Content–AfCFTA Energy Summit on 9 February 2026, examining opportunities for intra-African energy trade and supply chain integration under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Defining Africa’s Next Energy Chapter

With vast hydrocarbon resources, significant gas reserves, and increasing momentum toward renewable integration, Sub-Saharan Africa remains at the heart of global energy diversification.

For ten years, SAIPEC has served as one of the continent’s most influential platforms for collaboration and investment. The 2026 edition promises to continue this legacy—connecting policymakers, regulators, investors, operators, technology providers, and innovators committed to shaping an energy future that delivers prosperity for African people and economies.