Cany Jobe, Director of Exploration & Production at the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation and one of Africa’s most inspirational female energy executives, will share the company’s vision to attract upstream investment at AEW 2023.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African energy sector – is proud to announce the participation of Cany Jobe, Director of Exploration & Production at the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), as a speaker at the African Energy Week (AEW) 2023 conference and exhibition, Africa’s leading investment platform for the continent’s energy industry, taking place from October 16-20 in Cape Town.
As the head of The Gambian Government’s petroleum parastatal, Jobe advises on oil and gas exploration projects in the West African country and structures, negotiates and oversees the implementation of high-value exploration activities for the National Oil Company’s (NOC) joint ventures and partnerships, thus solidifying her position as one of Africa’s most inspirational female energy executives.
Poised to establish its vision for The Gambia’s petroleum sector, the GNPC’s confirmed participation at AEW 2023 speaks to the NOC’s commitment to encouraging private sector investment and participation, as well as ensuring the maximum benefit from its hydrocarbon resources to local stakeholders.
Having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in March 2023 to explore and develop crude oil in The Gambia, the GNPC has made significant steps towards identifying potential exploration blocks in the country. As such, the NOC is encouraging oil and gas exploration activities both locally and across the region, and is seeking new partners in conducting geological and geophysical studies and seismic data acquisition and analysis.
Furthermore, in October 2022, the GNPC renewed its MoU with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation to promote and intensify cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas industry. Under the MoU, the two entities will share expertise, equipment and personnel across the oil and gas value chain while building on one another’s technical capacities, petroleum research, exploration and production techniques, information systems and data management.
As such, the GNPC’s participation at AEW 2023 aligns with the conference’s stated goals of promoting, facilitating and maximizing regional cooperation on oil and gas development, industry growth and energy resilience.
“Africa’s natural gas industry is a picture of both economic opportunity and low-carbon production. Petroleum companies such as the GNPC are actively pursuing opportunities to further entrench Africa’s position as the world’s premier oil and gas frontier,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC, adding, “During AEW 2023, new entrants to Africa’s hydrocarbons landscape will showcase their remarkable advancements towards the development of frontier hydrocarbons markets, while allowing countries, such as The Gambia to attract necessary investment into its oil and gas acreages.”
The Gambia serves as an important player within the MSGBC Basin, a regional development partnership between Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry, which is focused on accelerating socioeconomic development and boosting energy security, access and affordability on the back of oil and gas exploration and monetization in West Africa. Regional megafinds in the MSGBC Basin include Mauritania’s 13 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in the BirAllah conventional gas field, 15 tcf in the transnational Mauritania-Senegal Greater Tortue Ahmeyim development, and 20 tcf in Senegal’s Yakaar-Teranga gas development. Prospects for The Gambia include a potential 1.5 billion barrels of oil in Blocks A2 and A5 following exploration efforts by Australian oil and gas explorer, FAR Limited.
As such, Jobe is expected to make a strong case for foreign direct investment into the country, which has ensured an integrated system of corporate local content accountability via The Gambia’s Petroleum, Exploration, Development, and Production Licenses, refreshed with a model agreement released in 2022.
As an experienced project management expert in the energy, oil and gas, and construction industries, Jobe is a dedicated and strategic leader with 14 years of experience spanning West Africa, South America, East Asia and Australia. Listed as one of 100 Outstanding Female Executives in Oil & Gas, she is skilled in policy formation, governance, administration and strategic planning, and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Association of Project Managers, and an alumnus of the Australia Development Awards, the Commonwealth Awards, the Mining for Development Award, and Trust Bank’s Excellence in the Millennium Award.
AEW 2023 is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition, and networking event. AEW 2023 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments. For more information about AEW 2023, please visit https://aecweek.com/.
