Africa’s oil and gas reforms unlock investment surge across key producers

Regulatory reform continues to shape Africa’s upstream oil and gas outlook heading into 2026, with major producers reporting tangible gains tied to clearer fiscal terms and streamlined licensing.

Angola remains a leading example, advancing multi-year bid rounds, establishing the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency, and implementing incentives such as the incremental production decree. These measures have supported exploration success—including ExxonMobil’s Likember-01 and Azule Energy’s Block 1/14 gas find—while keeping national output above 1 MMbpd and enabling projects such as Kaminho and Agogo. The country’s planned investment pipeline now totals roughly $70 billion.

Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) continues to guide sector restructuring as the country targets 2.5 MMbpd. Licensing rounds in 2024–2025 have attracted renewed interest, with the latest offering 50 blocks and seeking up to $10 billion in new capital.

The Republic of Congo is driving toward 500,000 bpd and expanding LNG capacity to 3 mtpa through a Gas Master Plan, new licensing framework and gas code. Current activity includes TotalEnergies’ Moho Nord investment and the second phase of Congo LNG, which began in November 2025.

For emerging producers—particularly Namibia and Uganda—these markets offer a blueprint: establish stable fiscal regimes early, maintain predictable terms through development, and align upstream and midstream planning to maximize long-term national value. Namibia’s Venus and Mopane discoveries target first oil before decade-end, while Uganda moves toward 2026 startup at Tilenga and Kingfisher, supported by the 1,443-km East African Crude Oil Pipeline.

Across the continent, governments and operators continue to weigh how policy clarity and licensing stability can accelerate drilling activity, gas commercialization and regional energy security.

Pictured: Eni's Tango FLNG, operating offshore Congo