Former CEO of Ghana Gas, Dr. Ben K.D. Asante, has called for the establishment of an African Energy College to build intellectual capacity and bridge the gap between academia and industry. He made the proposal at the Forum for Oil and Gas in Africa (FOGA) held in Luanda, Angola, receiving strong support from energy professionals across the continent.
Speaking on Africa’s energy future, Dr. Asante stressed the need for local financing, infrastructure development, and regional collaboration to support oil and gas sustainability amid global decarbonisation efforts. He urged stakeholders including academic institutions, diaspora experts, and governments—to unite in making the energy college a reality, proposing multiple Centres of Excellence across participating countries.
Highlighting Ghana Gas’ successful indigenisation programme, where local engineers took over operations in three years, he compared this to similar efforts in Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago, which took over five decades.
Dr. Asante emphasized that natural gas must lead Africa’s transition from fossil fuels to renewables, due to its affordability and lower carbon emissions. He advocated a phased shift coal, oil, then gas aligned with carbon intensity.
Noting Africa’s small 4% global carbon footprint despite having 18% of the world’s population, he said regional emissions should be factored into global transition plans. He also pointed out that while Africa produces 10% of the world’s gas, it consumes only 5%, signaling a major growth opportunity.
However, he cautioned that issues like weak infrastructure, limited local expertise, unattractive fiscal policies, and non-cost-reflective pricing must be addressed. Despite these hurdles, Dr. Asante believes Africa can still assert itself as a credible player in the global gas market.