I had the pleasure of contributing to an article exploring a central question in Africa’s energy future: how far AI can advance the continent’s oil and gas sector when the foundations required to support it are inconsistent. Examining the region’s evolving energy landscape made one reality clear: AI’s potential is strong, but its impact depends on the infrastructure that can reliably sustain digital systems.
The article analyzes the key forces shaping this challenge, including the pace of AI adoption, the difficulty of deploying advanced technologies in power-limited environments, the importance of specialized talent, and the growing need for African ownership in the digital economy. Together, these factors frame the conditions required for meaningful progress. AI is beginning to influence Africa’s oil and gas operations, yet scaling it raises a critical question: can its full value be realized without stable power and resilient data systems?
Read the full article here.
GHISLAIN FAI-YENGO 