The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has published its flagship report, the State of African Energy 2026 Outlook, during the African Energy Week (AEW) that was taking place under the theme; Invest in African Energies 2025 conference. In association with S&P Global Commodity Insights, the report offers a comprehensive overview of Africa’s exciting energy future—covering from hydrocarbons to renewables and major minerals.
As an investor and project developer’s guide, the Outlook identifies opportunities and challenges in oil and gas, power generation, finance, and technology. As Africa moves to boost access to energy and diversify its energy mix, the report must be a guide for those who wish to tap into the continent’s vibrant markets.
“Critical data is what we need to drive investment and that’s why we worked with S&P Global Commodity Insights on this report. Europe is densely equipped with energy infrastructure, while Africa is underdeveloped. And yet, the potential here is huge. This report lays out where those opportunities are,” said Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President at AEC.
Mapping Africa’s Energy Future
The Outlook looks at trends in upstream and downstream production, capital expenditure, and the frontier basins’ contribution. It also considers downstream opportunities like refining, infrastructure, and trade, and has a very big section on gas and LNG potential in Africa. Upcoming LNG projects, bottlenecks in gas monetization, and rising domestic demand are all analyzed.
“From oil and gas to critical minerals, the report covers it all. The conversation era is over it’s time to invest. For instance, oil demand in Africa is set to increase from 11.4 million barrels a day (bpd) to 13.6 million bpd,” said Mark Eramo, CEO of S&P Global Commodity Insights.
Spotlight on Renewables
Aside from hydrocarbons, the report outlines Africa’s journey in renewable energy. It considers the growth in power demand, opportunities in off-grid solutions, barriers to scaling renewable adoption across the continent, and financing requirements. By connecting the dots between energy transition and economic development, the report indicates how Africa can pursue clean energy trajectories without jeopardizing baseload power and energy security.
As Africa is at the crossroads of global energy transitions and regional development ambitions, State of African Energy 2026 Outlook is to be a go-to guidebook for policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders.
