From the Dangote export milestone to the UAE’s exit from OPEC, April was a month of structural turning points — across Nigeria, Africa and the wider energy system.
It was a month that rewrote assumptions. Nigeria crossed the line from chronic petrol importer to net exporter; Africa pressed a continent-wide case for refining and clean-energy independence; and a widening Middle East war pushed the Strait of Hormuz to the centre of the global energy map — even prompting the UAE to walk away from OPEC after six decades. Here is everything that mattered, organised across Nigeria, Africa and the world.
01 Local · Nigeria
From the Hormuz price shock to the Dangote export milestone, Nigeria’s energy landscape pivoted in real time.
“Nigeria’s transition from chronic petrol importer to net exporter is a structural turning point — not a one-month anomaly.” — Doyin Pearse, Founder, ClimeNergies Consulting Hub
Oil & Gas
Nigeria becomes a net petrol exporter as Dangote ships 44,000 bpd
March 2026 marked Nigeria’s structural transition from chronic importer to net exporter, with a roughly 3,000 bpd petrol surplus. Dangote also exported 1.1bn litres of jet fuel to Europe and now supplies 95% of domestic Jet A1. Read more →
Nigerian crude posts its best March on record
Bonny Light traded near $120/bbl, its highest since June 2022 — gaining 58% as the Strait of Hormuz disruption rerouted demand toward West African grades. Read more →
Nigeria–Morocco $25bn gas pipeline deal nears signing
The 6,900km African Atlantic Gas Pipeline could carry up to 30 bcm/year, with 15 bcm bound for Morocco and Europe — positioning Nigeria as a major continental gas transit state. Read more →
Afreximbank leads $4bn financing for Dangote Refinery
Afreximbank underwrote $2.5bn of a senior syndicated term loan supporting the refinery’s long-term expansion strategy. Read more →
Petrol imports surge 96% despite record domestic output
NMDPRA data show imports jumped to 5.9m litres in March even as Dangote’s exports rose — exposing supply-coordination gaps and questions over long-term independence. Read more →
Field use and flaring consumed 38% of 2025 gas output
NUPRC data highlight structural inefficiencies as domestic and export demand for Nigerian gas climbs, reinforcing the urgency of flare-reduction frameworks. Read more →
Nigeria crude output hits a five-year high of 1.71m bpd
The NNPC One-Year Mandate Report shows national crude production averaged 1.71m bpd between April 2025 and April 2026 — the highest in five years. Gas supply held at 7.5 bscf/d, supported by the AKK river-crossing completion and Assa North–Ohaji South commissioning. Read more →
NUPRC backs Ingentia Energy as a model for indigenous upstream growth
The regulator pointed to Ingentia — the first 2020 marginal-field awardee to convert PPL 202 into Petroleum Mining Lease 66 — as the template for credible Nigerian-owned operators. Ingentia is targeting a ramp from ~2,500 bpd to 7,000+ bpd through its 2026 drilling campaign. Read more →
Neconde discontinues its OML 42 disruption suit against NUPRC
A notice of discontinuance lifts a regulatory-uncertainty overhang from one of Nigeria’s contested onshore JVs, closing a key flank of the months-long Nestoil/FBNQuest receivership wrangle and removing a near-term cloud over upstream investor confidence. Read more →
Tinubu sacks the NMDPRA chief, nominates Rabiu Umar as replacement
Saidu Mohammed was removed “in the public interest” just four months into the role; ex-Dangote Industries executive Rabiu Abdullahi Umar (Bayero, Harvard Business School) was nominated as CEO, subject to Senate confirmation. Read more →
Power & Renewables
President Tinubu approves a N3.3 trillion power-sector liquidity plan
A major payment plan to settle long-standing GenCos and gas debts, addressing the chronic liquidity crisis in the power sector. Read more →
Lagos signs landmark 60 MW PPAs with three IPPs, targets 400 MW
Governor Sanwo-Olu signed PPAs with Mainland Power, Fenchurch Power (with Aggregate Utilities) and Viathan Engineering — covering three of four state IPPs and replacing take-or-pay with pay-on-metered-supply. Read more →
NERC releases Mini-Grid Regulations 2026, opening a rural power pathway
NERC-R-001-2026 sets a framework for isolated mini-grids up to 5 MW and interconnected up to 10 MW, with 30-business-day permitting. The Rural Electrification Agency hailed it as a turning point. Read more →
IFC and Norfund back a $271m solar mini-grid push to reach 2.9m Nigerians
IFC and Norfund committed up to $83.2m to five RESCOs — Darway Coast, GVE Projects, Prado Power, PriVida Power and StarTimes Energy — to deploy 315 hybrid solar mini-grids connecting nearly 500,000 households and businesses, part of the World Bank Group’s Mission 300. Read more →
Eleven more major firms abandon the national grid for captive power
Industrial customers across finance, steel and manufacturing exited the grid, deepening DisCo losses and signalling a growing crisis of grid confidence. Read more →
NERC orders TCN to cut transmission losses to 6.5% by year-end
Order No. NERC/2026/026 sets a binding ceiling under the Electricity Act 2023, backed by mandatory smart metering at all interconnection points. Read more →
Adelabu resigns; proposes a Coordinating Ministry for Energy
The Power Minister stepped down with proposals to integrate reforms across power, gas and related sectors — a significant shift in energy governance. Read more →
Tinubu nominates Tegbe as Power Minister; Babalola to chair Power Sector Reset Task Force
The President nominated Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power and appointed Lanre Babalola to lead a Power Sector Reset Task Force — signalling renewed focus on accelerating reforms and improving electricity delivery. Read more →
NEMSA issues binding rooftop solar PV safety guidelines after fire outbreaks
Following a rash of fire incidents linked to substandard installations, NEMSA issued binding guidelines under the Electricity Act 2023 — mandating certified installers, pre-installation load assessments, MC4-locked connections, lightning protection and on-site fire-safety equipment. Read more →
Critical Minerals
Banklink Africa injects a fresh N2bn into the Critical Minerals Financing Corp
The capital injection signals growing private interest in Nigeria’s minerals value chain and efforts to scale financing for strategic resource development. Read more →
02 Regional · Africa
East Africa’s downstream awakening, mineral coordination, and a continental bid for refining and clean-energy independence.
“If regional leaders cooperate, the project could be completed within four years — challenging Africa’s long-standing practice of exporting raw materials abroad.” — Aliko Dangote, AFC Summit, Nairobi
Oil & Gas
Dangote to build an East Africa refinery with Kenya & Uganda
The Group plans a refinery in East Africa in partnership with Kenya and Uganda, signalling potential growth in regional refining capacity. Completion is possible within four years if regional cooperation holds. Read more →
Sierra Leone signs a $225m offshore oil deal with Marginal Energy
The Nigeria-based independent secured Sierra Leone’s offshore acreage at the Invest in African Energy conference in Paris. Read more →
Somalia launches its first offshore oil drilling campaign
The country commenced its first offshore drilling campaign — a key step toward developing its upstream sector and attracting international investment. Read more →
Power & Renewables
AfDB’s SEFA launches a $20m Green Hydrogen funding call
The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa opened a 10 April–11 May call offering up to $20m in reimbursable grants to 3–5 private green-hydrogen projects, targeting the bottleneck of ~78 announced African projects (~$194bn) stalled at feasibility. Read more →
Mauritania validates Africa’s first dedicated green-hydrogen auction framework
AfDB validated a Green Hydrogen Auction Framework in Nouakchott, establishing the legal and competitive procurement foundations for Mauritania to scale as a global green-hydrogen exporter. Read more →
World Bank backs African renewables with a $1.65bn AMEA Power deal
MIGA’s framework agreement with UAE-based AMEA Power supports up to 23 renewable projects across Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia — replacing project-by-project guarantees. Read more →
AfDB approves $11.3m for mini-grids across 14 African countries
SEFA and the Nordic Development Fund split an $11.3m P-REC Aggregation Facility — letting multinationals pre-pay for Peace Renewable Energy Certificates and giving developers in 14 fragile states upfront capital. It targets 856,000 people and 71 MW under Mission 300. Read more →
Zambia secures a $1.5bn China-backed deal to add 900 MW
A China Machinery Engineering Corporation investment expands national generation capacity by 900 MW — addressing power shortfalls that have constrained economic activity. Read more →
AfDB approves a $150m floating solar plant on Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa
The 100 MW floating PV project on the Cahora Bassa reservoir advances renewable capacity and hybrid hydropower integration. Read more →
EBRD lends $65m for 200 MW solar plus 120 MWh storage at Egypt’s Benban
The loan strengthens Egypt’s renewable capacity and grid flexibility; once operational the project is expected to cut up to 280,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Read more →
Critical Minerals
US firm restarts DRC mines under a $12bn ‘Project Vault’
A US-led consortium acquired Chemaf to restart lithium, cobalt and copper extraction, reducing China dependence under the bilateral US–DRC minerals agreement. Read more →
Malawi joins Africa’s rare-earth powerhouses with a $100m raise
ASX-listed Lindian Resources raised A$100m to fund debt-free Stage 1 production at Kangankunde — one of the world’s highest-grade rare-earth deposits outside China, rich in dysprosium and terbium for EV magnets. First concentrate is targeted for Q4 2026. Read more →
Saudi Arabia eyes African critical minerals via Manara
The PIF–Maaden joint venture signalled interest in Zambian copper and nickel — minerals essential to Vision 2030 and Saudi sovereign-wealth diversification. Read more →
France pivots to Botswana for uranium after losing Niger
State-backed nuclear group Orano is expanding into Botswana to diversify uranium supply following disruptions in Niger — previously a key source for France’s nuclear fuel. Read more →
Burkina Faso demands a 40% stake in an Australian-run gold mine
The government raised its share in the Kiaka mine from 15% to 40% — the latest example of African governments seeking greater equity in extractive projects. Read more →
Chinese firms join a $1.24bn upgrade of Zambia’s copper railway
The upgrade of a critical-mineral export corridor to the Indian Ocean port is set for major capacity expansion — accelerating mineral exports. Read more →
WEF: Africa’s refined-mineral market could reach $120bn by 2040
World Economic Forum analysis shows Africa holds ~30% of global critical minerals but captures only ~40% of potential value. Expanding local refining could grow the market from ~$70bn to $120bn by 2040 and create ~286,000 jobs. Read more →
African Rainbow Minerals signs a Boliden deal to restart the Nkomati nickel mine
ARM signed a conditional, multi-year off-take agreement to supply nickel concentrate to Finland — de-risking a potential restart and offering Europe a non-Russian, non-Chinese supply route. Read more →
Morocco co-chairs the OECD Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul
Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali co-chaired the forum, reinforcing Morocco’s role as a bridge between African producers and global off-takers, as new OECD data show export restrictions on critical minerals rising to 36%. Read more →
Climate & ESG
Africa secures 46% of the GCF’s $960m latest funding round
The Green Climate Fund approved ~$440m for seven African projects focused on agriculture and renewable energy, leveraging over $1.1bn in co-financing. Read more →
Green Climate Fund opens regional offices in Kenya & Ivory Coast
Nairobi will serve East and Southern Africa; Abidjan will serve Central, North and West Africa — accelerating continental delivery of climate finance. Read more →
Côte d’Ivoire issues UMOA’s first energy-sector green bond
A $65m green bond finances a 66 MW solar plant in Korhogo, projected at 130 GWh/year — supplying 400,000 households and cutting ~70,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Read more →
São Tomé & Príncipe wins a $24.5m AfDB grant for clean energy
The grant anchors a $30m programme to transform the island nation’s energy mix, targeting universal electrification and a 50% renewable share by 2030 while displacing costly diesel. Read more →
Novastar Ventures closes a $147m Africa People & Planet Fund III
The first Novastar fund to deploy across the entire continent — targeting businesses that combine financial returns with sustainable impact. Read more →
Africa moves to operationalise national adaptation strategies post-COP30
African countries are advancing NAPs and updated NDCs, with a focus on governance, bankable projects and scaling adaptation finance — testing the shift from policy to implementation. Read more →
03 Global
The UAE quits OPEC. The Iran war redraws global energy markets — and the cartel that anchored them.
“The current oil and gas crisis triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is more serious than the crises of 1973, 1979 and 2022 put together.” — Fatih Birol, IEA · Le Figaro interview
Oil & Gas
UAE quits OPEC and OPEC+ after six decades, effective 1 May
In a structural shock to the cartel, the UAE — OPEC’s third-largest producer — announced its exit, citing national interest and ambition for 5m bpd capacity by 2027. Brent jumped above $113 on the news. Read more →
Brent hits a one-month high on prolonged Hormuz disruption
Oil rose ~4% on 29 April, with June Brent settling at $115.50/bbl (highest since 31 March) and WTI up 4% to $103.96, after reports the US would extend its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Read more →
IEA chief: the current crisis is worse than 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined
Fatih Birol places the Iran conflict among the most severe energy-security shocks in modern history — a framing that has reshaped G7 policy responses. Read more →
Qatar’s Ras Laffan struck — 17% of LNG export capacity lost
QatarEnergy declared force majeure on all exports after an Iranian strike, with recovery estimated at five years — described by the IEA as the greatest energy-security challenge in history. Read more →
Saudi attacks cut output by 600,000 bpd and pipeline flows by 700,000 bpd
Damage to upstream assets and the East–West Pipeline reduced the kingdom’s effective production capacity, per the Saudi Ministry of Energy. Read more →
Russia bans gasoline exports; NORSI refinery hit by drone strike
A total gasoline-export ban followed as Iran-war fallout spread, while Russia’s fourth-largest refinery suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone attack. Read more →
Russia adds four LNG tankers to its fleet ahead of the EU import ban
Four reflagged carriers boost capacity to support Arctic LNG exports via Murmansk, giving Moscow room to grow market share before the EU’s full Russian-gas import ban takes effect by late 2027. Read more →
EU expands state-aid scope for firms hit by Iran-war fuel and fertiliser spikes
A temporary framework allows subsidies of up to 70% for fuel, fertiliser and energy costs in key sectors. The measures run to year-end; EVP Teresa Ribera framed the package as a “targeted, temporary and proportionate response.” Read more →
Power & Renewables
Czech Republic extends the Dukovany nuclear plant’s lifespan by 20 years
All four units will now run until 2065–2067, an 80-year operational lifespan — reflecting Europe’s renewed embrace of nuclear baseload. Read more →
Amazon-backed X-Energy raises over $1bn in a Nasdaq IPO
The $1.02bn raise reflects surging investor appetite for next-generation nuclear capacity, driven by data-centre power demand and the search for reliable low-carbon electricity. Read more →
EU to warn against early nuclear exits as the Iran war drives crisis
The bloc is set to caution member states not to shut nuclear plants early as Europe shores up power supplies — a significant shift in EU posture on nuclear. Read more →
TotalEnergies & Masdar form a $2.2bn renewables JV across Asia
The joint venture will develop solar, wind and storage across nine Asian countries including Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. Read more →
The Iran war sharply revives European rooftop solar demand
Households rushed to shield themselves from soaring power prices, accelerating the search for cheaper alternatives and reduced exposure to volatile markets. Read more →
IRENA: the world added a record 692 GW of renewables in 2025; Africa up 15.9%
Global renewable capacity reached 5,149 GW in 2025, with 86% of all new capacity from renewables. Solar led the surge, while Africa added 11.3 GW in its strongest year on record — led by Ethiopia, South Africa and Egypt. Read more →
Critical Minerals
EU and US near agreement on critical-minerals coordination
The deal includes minimum price guarantees designed to favour non-Chinese suppliers — an explicit signal of joint supply-chain decoupling, per Bloomberg. Read more →
Ex-Rio Tinto CEO’s deep-sea mining firm in a $1bn Odyssey merger
The deep-sea mining company is set to merge with Odyssey in a $1bn deal, signalling renewed investor interest in seabed minerals amid growing transition-material demand. Read more →
Greenland likely to reject an Australian rare-earth licence renewal
Energy Transition Minerals was informed its Kvanefjeld project licence may be denied — a setback for European-proximate rare-earths supply development. Read more →
IEA: refining concentration intensifies despite supply-chain rhetoric
The top three countries control 86% of supply across copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earths, with almost all incremental supply from a single dominant producer per mineral. On current policy, concentration eases only marginally over the decade. Read more →
Climate & ESG
Global carbon markets hit a record $79bn in revenue in 2025
ICAP’s Status Report confirms the growing scale of emissions-trading systems — underscoring carbon pricing’s rising significance as both a climate-policy and revenue instrument. Read more →
Britain to scrap its carbon tax on electricity generation from April 2028
The UK retreats from carbon pricing to soften consumer-bill impacts from Iran-driven wholesale price surges — a partial retreat from carbon-pricing instruments. Read more →
Hungary’s CO₂ allowance tax ruled illegal by the EU court
An ECJ judgment affirms ETS integrity, finding Hungary’s 2023 levy removed operators’ incentive to invest in emissions reduction. Read more →
46 nations confirm Colombia’s fossil-fuel phase-out summit
Canada, Australia, Brazil and Norway were among confirmed attendees at the Santa Marta summit — though the world’s largest fossil-fuel producers remained notably absent. Read more →
India withdraws its bid to host COP33 in 2028
India remains committed to its climate obligations but withdrew its hosting offer. The 2028 talks now lack a confirmed host, creating diplomatic uncertainty. Read more →
Petersberg Dialogue: negotiators frame the Hormuz crisis as a case for transition
Ahead of COP31, ministers from 40 countries argued in Berlin that the Hormuz blockade has stripped fossil fuels of their “energy security” claim. UK climate minister Katie White said the crisis makes the transition “even more imperative.” Read more →
Tim Mohin named first CEO of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
The GHG Protocol — the de-facto global framework for corporate emissions accounting — appointed its first-ever CEO, effective 1 June 2026, as it executes the COP30 mandate to harmonise global GHG accounting standards. Read more →
04 Upcoming Events
Major energy, climate & sustainability gatherings · May 2026.
Local · Nigeria
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| LASERC Stakeholders’ Forum | May 7, 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria |
| MEGA CLIMA Nigeria HVAC+R Expo 2026 | May 19, 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Africa Shared Value & ESG Summit | May 25–26, 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria |
Regional · Africa
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| GLF Africa 2026 | May 6–7, 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya & Online |
| Africa Forward Summit 2026 | May 11–12, 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Africa Energies Summit 2026 | May 12–14, 2026 | London, UK |
| GHACOF 73 | May 18–19, 2026 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Virtual |
| Africa Climate Roundtable | May 19, 2026 | Accra, Ghana |
| Africa Energy Technology Conference (AETC) | May 19–21, 2026 | Accra, Ghana |
| Enlit Africa 2026 | May 19–21, 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa |
| SUSTAINEX | May 29–31, 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa |
Global
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Week Zurich 2026 | May 4–9, 2026 | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Argus Europe Carbon Conference 2026 | May 11–13, 2026 | Nice, France |
| Carbon Removal Investment Summit | May 13, 2026 | London, UK |
| GenZero Climate Summit | May 18–22, 2026 | Singapore |
| Ecosperity Week 2026 | May 18–21, 2026 | Singapore |
| World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition | May 19–21, 2026 | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Coming Next Month
The May edition will cover the UAE’s formal OPEC+ exit on 1 May, the post-Hormuz oil-market reset and the build-up to COP31 — alongside the next wave of Nigerian energy reforms and Africa’s critical-minerals agenda. Expect deeper coverage of UAE–OPEC fallout and Nigeria’s next-phase Dangote off-take agreements; highlights from the Africa Energies and World Hydrogen summits; the EU–US minerals partnership rollout; and the road to COP31.
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