The 2023 edition of the African Energy Week (AEW) conference and exhibition ended in Cape Town with forward-looking remarks from the executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), NJ Ayuk. Highlighting the week's dialogue and agreements, Ayuk pledged that AEW would return bigger and better in 2024.
The week-long conference featured a series of roundtable discussions, a series of billion-dollar agreements and a number of exciting networking functions that laid the foundations for new partnerships and collaborations. High-level leaders and government representatives from across the African and global energy space gathered in Cape Town as part of a mandate to eradicate energy poverty.
Ayuk stated that he "hopes that this AEW has been beneficial for everyone. It is very important for our continent and for all those who have come that these discussions do not start and stop here, but that we take them to the cities, to Maputo, Kampala, Nairobi, Dakar, Algiers and Cairo and more. Most importantly, we are extending this discussion beyond London and New York."
Remerciant les sponsors et partenaires de l’AEW 2023, Ayuk a souligné comment le soutien de ces institutions a assuré le succès de l’événement, permettant aux parties prenantes de collaborer vers un objectif commun de réduction de la pauvreté énergétique. « À nos sponsors, nous n’aurions pas pu y parvenir sans vous : vous nous avez poussés, conduits et avez continué à encourager », a-t-il ajouté.
Through the AEW platform, Ayuk said, "We can open up Africa and our communities, to see ourselves bigger than our challenges."
The theme of the event was The African Energy Renaissance: prioritising energy poverty, people, the planet, industrialisation and free markets, highlighting the continent's multi-faceted priorities. Discussions covered the entire energy value chain and associated sectors, while promoting critical challenges and opportunities in the evolving African market. From agreements and roundtables to investor summits and country-focused sessions, AEW 2023 was both diverse and highly strategic, enabling investment to flow into Africa's energy industry.
« Tant que la Chambre sera là, cette industrie sera inclusive », a poursuivi Ayuk. « Nous méritons d’améliorer les choses pour vous. Nous reviendrons l’année prochaine : nous comptons être meilleurs. Nous allons nous efforcer de maintenir notre discours selon lequel l’Afrique mérite de produire de l’énergie de manière durable et meilleure. Il s’agit d’accepter toutes les formes d’énergie et de pouvoir éradiquer la précarité énergétique.
Ayuk concluded: "We will not back down: we will continue to stimulate growth, ensuring that this discussion stays in Africa. Select Africa, let's go bigger and better in 2024."