The Chairman of the Advisory Board of OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week, Adetunji Oyebanji has listed some conditions that will elevate the integrity of operations in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
According to him, the following conditions must be maintained by stakeholders while dealing with other operators in the global market. “We must invest in pipelines, depots, data systems, and digital tools. We must build capacity through research and innovation. Above all, we must hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of transparency and environmental responsibility,” he said.
He also called for renewed collaboration, policy consistency, and innovation to drive Africa’s energy sustainability and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Speaking at the opening session of the 19th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2025 in Lagos, Oyebanji said this year’s theme — “Energy Sustainability: Growth Beyond Boundaries & Competition” — underscores the need for Africa and Nigeria to look beyond conventional limits and create an energy future anchored on integration, inclusiveness, and responsible growth.
He described the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week as a bridge between policy and practice, bringing together regulators, operators, investors, and innovators to shape the future of Africa’s downstream energy industry.
“Energy sustainability is not merely about preserving resources; it is about ensuring that our growth today does not compromise the prosperity of tomorrow,” Oyebanji said. “We must build an industry that is competitive, responsible, and adaptable to a rapidly changing global environment.”
Oyebanji who is also the managing director of 11 Plc observed that the global energy sector is undergoing major shifts, driven by geopolitical tensions, supply uncertainties, and the accelerating march toward energy transition. Conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, he said, have kept oil markets tight, while the global push toward cleaner fuels and renewables is reshaping investment priorities.
For Africa, these trends present both challenges and opportunities. He stressed that the continent, richly endowed with natural resources and human capital, must move beyond being just a supplier of raw hydrocarbons to becoming a hub for innovation, efficiency, and value addition.
“Africa must position itself not just as a source of energy, but as a source of innovation,” he said. “Our growth must be sustainable, inclusive, and borderless.”
The OTL Advisory Board Chairman emphasized that Nigeria remains central to Africa’s energy transformation. The deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, renewed focus on gas commercialization, and expanding infrastructure, he said, have laid a foundation for long-term growth.
However, he cautioned that sustained progress depends on policy stability, regulatory transparency, and institutional consistency. Investors, he noted, thrive on predictability, and long-term capital inflows will only come with confidence in the regulatory environment.
Reflecting on recent developments in Nigeria’s downstream market, Oyebanji said that while the removal of fuel subsidies and market liberalization have presented short-term difficulties, they also mark necessary steps toward building a competitive, efficient, and innovation-driven sector.
He highlighted ongoing progress in logistics optimization, storage efficiency, and digital trading platforms as signs of renewal within the industry.
“The downstream market is evolving amid both turbulence and transformation,” he noted. “Success will depend on our ability to combine innovation with policy stability and operational efficiency.”
Oyebanji called for a new mindset where collaboration becomes the new competition, urging industry players to balance innovation with inclusiveness and competition with cooperation.
“Our capacity to grow beyond boundaries depends not only on how hard we compete but on how well we cooperate,” he said.
He added that the future of energy lies in integration — bridging hydrocarbons, renewables, and alternative energy sources — to create a system that promotes both growth and environmental responsibility.
Oyebanji noted that over the past 19 years, OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week has evolved into the continent’s leading platform for policy dialogue, business networking, and innovation in the downstream value chain.
Through its conferences and exhibitions, OTL has provided a meeting ground for regulators and private sector leaders, shaping policy directions and stimulating regional collaboration.
This year’s programme, he said, would feature sessions on market regulation, refining and trading dynamics, downstream financing, technological innovation, maritime logistics, environmental management, and renewables integration.
Key sessions on “Competition and Market Access in the Downstream Industry” and “Refining the Future: Breaking New Ground in Operations and Efficiency” will explore how technology, investment, and policy can work together to create a truly competitive and sustainable downstream market.
In his closing remarks, Oyebanji urged stakeholders to seize the moment to define Africa’s path toward energy sustainability through infrastructure investment, capacity building, and transparent governance.
“We must invest in pipelines, depots, data systems, and digital tools. We must build capacity through research and innovation. Above all, we must hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of transparency and environmental responsibility,” he said.
