Mozambique’s oil and gas industry has announced that it will withdraw from participating at the Africa Energies Summit - hosted by Frontier Energy Network in London this May - citing concerns over the treatment of Black professionals and broader local content issues linked to the event’s organizers. The decision reflects mounting frustration among Mozambican and African industry stakeholders who argue that platforms claiming to represent Africa’s energy sector must reflect the values of inclusion, fairness and local participation that increasingly shape the continent’s energy agenda.
The decision to withdraw was driven by concerns that the Summit’s leadership has failed to address repeated calls to improve diversity and transparency around hiring practices. African Energies Summit earns most of its revenues from Africa, yet its pattern of discrimination amounts to an intentional lock-out of Black professionals. Gayle Meikle from Ireland and Daniel Davidson from Scotland have resisted calls to disclose workforce diversity data and have also refused to end the policy of not hiring Black professionals and set out a plan for diversity.
“In 2026, this is not the behavior that we expect from anyone who uses the name Africa and our oil and gas sector. The behavior of Gayle Meikle and Daniel Davidson towards the hiring of Black professionals is something that many Mozambicans and Africans find offensive. Our members will not be going to London,” stated Florival Mucave, President of the Mozambique Energy Chamber.
The withdrawal carries particular weight given Mozambique’s rising influence in the global gas market. The country is home to some of the largest natural gas discoveries in recent decades and is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s most prominent voices in the LNG industry. Despite delays, Mozambique’s biggest projects are now returning to the development pipeline.
The TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG project achieved a full restart across its onshore and offshore activities in January 2026, following the lifting of force majeure in 2025. Construction activities has now resumed, with over 4,000 workers - 3,000 of which are Mozambican - mobilized. First LNG production is on track for 2029, with $4 billion contracts awarded to Mozambican companies. Force majeure for the ExxonMobil-led Rovuma LNG project was also lifted in 2025. The 18-million-ton-per-annum (mtpa) project is now advancing toward FID in 2026.
“Mozambique understands all too well what it means when citizens are not happy with the oil and gas sector. We saw a response with the uprising in the north that stalled major gas projects. Our country is experiencing big debates around local content and community involvement,” stated Mucave.
These milestones come as major offshore projects make headway. Following the start of operations at the Eni-led Coral Sul FLNG facility in 2022, the company is now advancing the Coral Norte FLNG project. In 2025, Coral Norte reached FID, with the 3.4 mtpa facility on track to begin operations in 2028. Project advancements reflect the country’s commitment to addressing the challenges that delayed projects.
“At a time when we are restarting mega gas projects and pushing for drilling and action from our politicians, the message about the oil industry should not be about regression on local content - it should be about addressing the unfortunate ideology of African energy events that Black professionals are seemingly not good enough for. We have worked with the oil and gas industry to promote STEM education and it is working. We don’t want environments where young Mozambicans will be discriminated upon solely based on their skin color and not on their qualifications or merits from experience,” Mucave added.
Mozambique’s gas sector is entering a decisive period as LNG projects return to the development pipeline and exploration activity gains momentum across the Rovuma Basin. For industry leaders, ensuring that the sector remains inclusive and supportive of African professionals will be critical not only for Mozambique’s success but also for the credibility of Africa’s broader energy narrative.
“Failure to maintain an oil and gas industry culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion in Africa will only disrupt gas operations, create doubts about the industry and adversely affect our industry as well as our future success both for Mozambicans and Africans. The oil industry should not destroy the goodwill Africans have shown to them over the last few years by supporting platforms that Africans see as insulting to their children,” concluded Mucave
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
