Mohamed Cheibani, Regional Head of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Commerce in Mauritania, has urged young African professionals to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the continent’s oil, gas and energy sectors rather than blaming governments for limited opportunities.
Cheibani spoke during a Youth Talk panel session at the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference in Lagos, where he addressed key stakeholders in Africa’s energy industry.
He encouraged young Africans to position themselves to unlock investment opportunities both within and outside the continent, stressing that success requires initiative and determination.
According to him, opportunities exist across Africa’s growing energy sector, but young professionals must be willing to explore and develop them.
“Opportunities exist but you need to be courageous and interested in unlocking them,” he said.
Cheibani noted that openness to learning and understanding local markets is essential for attracting investment, adding that Africa must nurture a generation of skilled professionals capable of driving development in the energy sector.
He emphasised that competence, talent, stability and knowledge of local business environments remain critical factors for attracting investors.
“We must make sure we have strong young leaders with competence to execute projects. Investment takes us to the importance of competence and talents, stability and local context is expected,” he said.
The energy expert also highlighted the importance of strengthening local content policies, noting that developing skilled local professionals and companies would increase Africa’s chances of attracting sustainable investment.
“Local content is strategic to financial benefit of oil and gas contracts. It will also help strong local companies and individuals that can push to have more investment opportunities,” he added.
Cheibani pointed to Mauritania as an example of emerging opportunities in Africa’s energy sector, noting that the country is implementing an investment strategy focused on openness, improved business climate and international partnerships.
He highlighted Mauritania’s growing gas potential, particularly the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim gas project and the BirAllah gas field, describing them as major projects that could boost production and exports.
He maintained that with the right mix of competence, openness and strong local content frameworks, African countries can unlock vast opportunities in the energy sector and maximise the benefits of the continent’s youthful population.
