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Africa is gearing up to attract a wave of investment in exploration blocks, with an increase in oil and gas licensing rounds to be launched during the 2024/2025 period. According to the African Energy Chamber's "State of African Energy 2025 Outlook" report, these efforts are part of a broader strategy to harness the continent's untapped energy potential, attract international investment, and drive long-term economic growth. This year, the "African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies" conference will focus on licensing rounds in Africa, connecting operators with emerging licensing opportunities across the continent.

North Africa

Libya launched its latest licensing round in March 2025, offering 22 onshore and offshore exploration blocks in the Sirte, Murzuq, and Ghadames basins. This round has already attracted interest from 37 potential companies, and contracts with the winning bidders are expected to be signed by the end of the year. This is the first licensing round since 2011, and comes as Libya seeks to increase production to two million barrels per day. Algeria awarded five licenses in June 2025 as part of its latest oil and gas bidding round. Launched in November 2024, this round covered six onshore blocks and is part of a broader multi-year strategy to attract international investment in exploration opportunities. The blocks cover five basins and represent a central element of the country's strategy to invest up to $50 billion in hydrocarbon projects over the next four years. Egypt launched a new round of tenders in March 2025, including 12 investment opportunities. The tender includes 10 offshore blocks in the Mediterranean Sea and two onshore blocks in the Nile Delta region and comes as the country ramps up exploration in undeveloped areas. 

West Africa

Sierra Leone is preparing to launch a new round of bidding in 2025 as part of its drive to accelerate exploration and become an oil-producing country. The country currently has approximately 50 offshore blocks available for direct negotiation, covering 63,000 km² and supported by a proven petroleum system. The next round of bidding is expected to further boost investment. Nigeria is expected to launch a new oil and gas licensing round in 2025, focusing on undeveloped fields. This round follows the successful conclusion of a bidding round in 2024, which resulted in 25 companies being awarded oil exploration licenses. Liberia has also launched a direct negotiation licensing round in 2024, with 29 offshore blocks available for investment in the Liberia and Harper basins. This licensing round aims to stimulate new investment in the country's frontier basins and draws on an extensive multi-client subsurface data library, including over 24,000 kilometers of 2D seismic data and over 26,000 km² of 3D seismic data.

East Africa

Tanzania is preparing to offer new oil and gas exploration opportunities with a licensing round beginning in 2025. A total of 26 blocks will be made available, including three in Lake Tanganyika and 23 in the Indian Ocean. The country's upstream regulator, the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority, has already identified the blocks and compiled the necessary data for the process. The licensing round will be launched after the government approves the production sharing agreement template. This is the first round in over a decade. Additionally, Kenya is expected to launch its first oil and gas licensing round in September 2025, offering ten blocks for exploration. The blocks were selected using geoscientific data to ensure a transparent allocation process. The licensing round is supported by comprehensive seismic surveys and geological reports, which will facilitate future exploration activities. The main targets are the Lamu and Anza basins, both known for their hydrocarbon potential. Uganda is also expected to launch a licensing round in the 2025/2026 financial year, offering new areas for oil and gas exploration.

Southern Africa

As part of its six-year licensing strategy, Angola is expected to launch its next licensing round in 2025, offering ten blocks for exploration in the offshore Kwanza and Benguela basins. This bidding round follows the successful conclusion of a 2023 tender, which qualified nine companies as operators and five as non-operators. Namibia has implemented an open licensing system in 2024 to address its backlog of applications and streamline procedures. This comes as the country experiences a renewed interest in exploration following significant discoveries since 2022.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers, and governments, and has established itself as the official venue for signing energy deals in Africa. Visit www.aecweek.com for more information on this exciting event.