The African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF) has elected the Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, as chairman of the Forum.
This is just as the Forum adopted Nigeria as its official headquarters.
The decision, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Head of Media and Strategic Communication, NUPRC , Eniola Akinkuotu, was reached at the inaugural executive committee meeting of the Forum which took place virtually on Tuesday.
Akinkuotu, explained that prior to the endorsement, Engineer Komolafe was interim chairman of AFRIPERF.
He disclosed that Eyoanwan Ndiyo-Aiyetan also emerged as secretary of AFRIPERF, affirming Nigeria’s central role in the African petroleum regulatory space and as Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
According to him, the meeting which was attended by 16 African countries, was convened to pick its leadership, headquarters and logo.
He said while speaking in his opening remarks Engineer Komolafe said, “We are laying the foundation for a more harmonized and collaborative regulatory environment across Africa. A strong Executive Committee will help drive initiatives that promote investment, streamline regulations and support Africa’s strategic positioning in an evolving global energy space”
Out of the 16 countries that attended, eight have so far ratified the treaty to become full-fledged members of the Forum who have voting rights.
In his acceptance speech, Engineer Komolafe thanked his African counterparts for the trust and honour, promising to ensure that no member country is left behind.
AFRIPERF aims to strengthen regional petroleum governance by fostering collaboration, cooperation and coordination among member regulators.
Its objectives include: Harmonising petroleum regulations and standards, enhancing regulatory capacity through training, promoting dialogue with industry stakeholders and international organisations and addressing regional challenges.
Additionally, the Forum seeks to facilitate knowledge sharing, promote cross-border energy infrastructure development and present a virile strong unified voice for Africa in global hydrocarbon discourse, encourage technology transfer, and promote best practices.
It advocates for member interests on international platforms and leverages the collective strengths of regulators to secure sustainable energy resources for development, promote investment in African petroleum exploration, ensure transparency and sound regulation, and advance ethical practices in petroleum exploitation.
