At the 9th edition of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Summit (SAIPEC), held last week in Lagos, Cany Jobe, Director of Exploration and Production at the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), captivated the audience by extolling the oil and gas potential of The Gambia. "We are looking for partners and investors to drill our wells so that The Gambia becomes the next stage of the African oil and gas industry", she said, highlighting the country's strategic position at the heart of the MSBC basin.
Organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) under the theme "Local Content Collaboration Strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa", SAIPEC 2025 brought together hundreds of participants, including government leaders, private players and regulators. Cany Jobe spoke on the "Governments and Regulators" panel on 12 February and the "Diversity, Equality and Inclusion" panel on 13 February, highlighting the investment opportunities in her country.
The director detailed the strengths of the Gambia, which has eight offshore blocks and two onshore blocks. "Our data coverage is around 80% offshore and 5% onshore," she said, adding that GNPC, the state-owned company managing upstream oil and gas operations, is already working with partners such as PetroNor on Block A4 to carry out technical studies. This work includes seismic surveys, hydrocarbon exploration, discovery development and production management.
Cany Jobe emphasised the economic prospects and investment opportunities offered by this largely untapped potential. "We have onshore and offshore blocks available", she said, positioning The Gambia as an emerging pole in a sector that is expanding rapidly in Africa.
Beyond the economic appeal, GNPC is committed to facilitating projects. "We are streamlining the approval process and benefiting from strong political will to support industry players", said Cany Jobe. She also highlighted decarbonisation initiatives, signalling a desire to combine oil development with environmental responsibility. "We are putting in place measures to reduce the carbon footprint of our oil and gas industry", she added.
In front of an audience of key decision-makers, the director succeeded in projecting the image of an ambitious Gambia, ready to become part of the regional energy dynamic. While neighbouring countries such as Senegal are making progress with their own oil and gas projects, the GNPC is seeking to attract investors to make The Gambia a key player in the MSBC basin.
The SAIPEC 2025 summit provided the ideal platform for Cany Jobe to promote this vision, combining economic opportunities, strategic partnership and sustainable commitment in a sector that is crucial to the continent's energy future.