Author: Faith Daniel

Africa is poised to lead global high-impact oil and gas exploration in 2026, accounting for roughly 40% of planned high-impact wells, driven by ultra-deepwater plays along the Atlantic margin. Operators are increasingly targeting frontier and capital-intensive prospects to secure large, long-life resources, as mature basins deliver diminishing returns. Strong Momentum in Upstream Exploration The upstream sector is expected to carry strong momentum into 2026 following a solid 2025. Last year, the success rate for high-impact wildcat wells rose to 38% from 23% in 2024, while total discovered volumes increased by 53% year-on-year to around 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent…

Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited is betting that artificial intelligence (AI) can breathe new life into hundreds of oil wells previously destined for abandonment, potentially unlocking significant value from assets written off using conventional exploration methods. Tony Attah, Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian energy company, told attendees at the PwC BusinessDay Outlook event that AI-powered reinterpretation of seismic data could reveal bypassed reserves in more than 300 wells currently earmarked for decommissioning. “Can you imagine a scenario where I deploy AI, and I can see clearly all I need to do is go back into those wells, sidetrack,…

Africa’s defence industry is at a pivotal moment as security threats intensify across the continent. From insurgencies in the Sahel and Horn of Africa to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and renewed great-power competition, governments are increasing military spending to address immediate risks while modernising their armed forces and asserting greater strategic autonomy. This shift is occurring even as domestic defence production remains limited, leaving most countries reliant on foreign suppliers. Africa’s defence equipment market is highly internationalised. While countries such as South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria maintain some manufacturing capacity, the majority of military hardware is imported. Traditional…

Three decades after his passing, Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Grammy Awards. The recognition makes Kuti the first African artist to receive the honour since the category was introduced in 1963. Fela Kuti helped shape the Afrobeat sound in the 1960s and 1970s alongside drummer Tony Allen, blending West African rhythms with elements of American soul, funk and jazz. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, he released more than 50 albums before his death in 1997 at the age of 58. His legacy continues to…

Stanley Amandi, a Nollywood filmmaker and actor, has been arrested alongside several military officers accused of plotting to violently overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu. According to a report by Premium Times, Amandi — a director and former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in Enugu State — was arrested in September 2025. Sources said the actor was allegedly recruited to act as a propagandist for the suspected coup plotters, who were reportedly planning the assassination of senior government officials. Government officials briefed on the matter last year said the officers involved had mapped out a violent takeover…

Nigeria’s long-standing electricity crisis is facing a major intervention as the Federal Government moves to raise $2.5 billion (about ₦4 trillion) to stabilise the power sector and address the persistent blackouts that have crippled homes and businesses for years. The funding initiative is designed to clear outstanding debts owed to power generation companies while financing critical upgrades across the electricity value chain, particularly transmission and distribution infrastructure. Olu Verheijen, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Energy, disclosed this during an interview, revealing that the first tranche of the programme — approximately ₦501 billion — was issued earlier this month at…

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday in Abuja said Africa’s development challenges can no longer be financed solely through aid, stressing the urgent need for long-term capital, private sector participation, and investment-driven growth strategies. Speaking at the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Shettima said development financing must shift toward patient capital, catalytic capital, blended finance, and private enterprise deployed at scale. The vice president, who was represented by his Technical Adviser on Women, Youth Engagement, and Impact, Hauwa Liman, called for stronger collaboration between government, the private sector,…

Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have signed their first-ever bilateral agreement on the recruitment of general workers, creating a formal labour corridor between Africa’s largest economy and the Middle East’s biggest labour market. The agreement establishes a regulated labour recruitment partnership aimed at formalising Nigeria’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s workforce while strengthening protections for Nigerian workers. It also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, which focuses on workforce reform and economic diversification. Signed on the sidelines of the Global Labour Market Conference 2026 in Riyadh, the deal signals a strategic shift in how Nigerian labour is absorbed into Gulf economies,…

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), says Turkish officials were “shocked” to learn that President Bola Tinubu’s stumble during an official event in Ankara became a major issue in Nigerian media. Tinubu stumbled on Tuesday during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, as he walked alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Officials quickly stepped in to assist the Nigerian leader and help him regain his balance. After the band performed both national anthems, there was a brief moment when the Turkish president used his hands to gently adjust Tinubu’s position so he could properly…

Burkina Faso’s Transitional Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday to join the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. The move represents a significant step toward the country’s plans to develop nuclear power capacity. The Convention establishes an international legal framework governing civil liability in the event of nuclear damage. In June, the West African nation signed an agreement with Russia to construct a nuclear power plant. The project is seen as an opportunity for Burkina Faso’s ruling military authorities to boost energy capacity and strengthen national energy security. Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom has signed approximately 20 nuclear energy…