Energy Chamber battles for dominance over O&G events

Calling for boycott of competitor event

Organisers of the annual African Oil Week, the African Energy Chamber is no stranger to taking on competitor oil and gas events aiming to capitalise on developments in the continent’s O&G sectors.

The Frontier Energy Network is the latest competitor to find itself coming under the Chamber’s scrutiny for not being sufficiently inclusive in their hiring policies. The AEC maintains that, despite the success of Black professionals in the sector, Frontier Energy Network’s hiring practices are exclusionary and wrong.

“This is not who our industry claims to be, and it is not compatible with partnership in Africa. Frontier’s leadership, including Daniel Davidson, has remained stubborn on this issue, and we are prepared to take this fight to the end. An organisation that earns the lion’s share of its revenue from Africans cannot expect to benefit from African markets, governments and capital while denying fair employment to Africans,” says the AEC in their statement issued this week.

“An organisation that earns the lion’s share of its revenue from Africans cannot expect to benefit from African markets, governments and capital while denying fair employment to Africans.”

As hosts of the annual African Energy Week, AEC is renowned for calling out other event organisers operating in the space that do not reflect the demographics of the continent within their own ranks. Now this includes Frontier Energy Network’s Summit scheduled for June in London.

“If the Africa Energies Summit wants African support, it must be ready to do the right thing by hiring Black professionals. When Daniel Davidson refuses to hire Black professionals and actively locks them out, the industry feels it – it is like a one‑eyed quarterback seeing only half the field,” says an AEC statement that calls for a “targeted, lawful and selective boycott against institutions that refuse to uphold inclusive hiring”.

“African ministers and regulators who attend the Africa Energies Summit cannot claim to value local content while aligning with institutions that refuse to hire Black professionals. The days when Black professionals are merely spectators in Africa’s oil and gas development are over. Our industry must remain vigilant. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past or give anti‑oil extremists an opportunity to tell African youth,” they write.

The AEC’s statement goes further to call out TGS for being “unwelcoming” to Black professionals and advocates for companies that treat the continent’s citizens as “second-class participants” to face consequences.

“Service companies, investors, conference organizers and partners all share responsibility. One cannot seek licenses, approvals, and government goodwill while tolerating exclusionary behaviour. Listening to Black professionals who feel excluded is not optional – it is necessary. Many may come for me because of this stance, but honesty demands that I speak for the Black men and women who have been unfairly treated by Daniel Davidson and the Africa Energies Summit,” says the statement not referencing any particular spokesperson.