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Wale Tinubu, Group CEO of Nigerian energy company Oando PLC, has been confirmed as a speaker at the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition, bringing one of Africa’s most prominent indigenous energy leaders to the continent’s premier investment platform. Tinubu’s participation comes as Africa’s upstream sector enters a new phase of growth, driven by a growing portfolio of indigenous operators.

AEW 2026 – taking place from October 12-16 in Cape Town, South Africa – serves as the continent’s biggest energy gathering, bringing together government leaders, operators, financiers, service providers and technology innovators to advance project development across Africa’s oil, gas and energy sectors.

Tinubu’s participation comes as the company advances one of the most ambitious expansion programs by an African-owned energy company in recent years. Following its 2024 acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s onshore assets, the company significantly expanded its producing portfolio, strengthening its position as one of Nigeria’s largest indigenous upstream operators.

The company plans to raise up to $750 million for a 100-well drilling program following its 2024 acquisition of Eni’s NAOC onshore operations in Nigeria, a deal that expanded Oando’s producing asset base and positioned the company as one of the largest indigenous upstream operators on the continent. The campaign could increase Oando’s production by as much as 300%.

The upcoming drilling campaign complements ongoing efforts to bolster production across its Nigerian assets alongside regional projects. Through its upstream subsidiary Oando Energy Resources, the company has interests in more than 14 oil and gas licenses across Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe and manages over 22,400 km² of gross acreage, supported by a pipeline network of 1,255 km, 14 flow stations and gas processing capacity in excess of 3.6 billion standard cubic feet per day.

Further expanding its regional portfolio, Oando signed a Production Sharing Contract for Block KON-13 in Angola’s onshore Kwanza Basin in March 2026, signaling a step towards taking its experience to regional markets. The block has estimated prospective resources of between 770 million and 1.1 billion barrels, and aligns with a broader strategy to diversify its portfolio beyond Nigeria.

At AEW 2026, Tinubu is expected to address the strategic priorities shaping Oando’s next phase of growth, as well as the company’s approach to mobilizing African-owned capital for large-scale upstream investment. He is also expected to weigh in on the case for African pension funds and development finance institutions to deepen their role in energy project funding, a debate that has gained urgency as international banks retreat from hydrocarbon exposure.

“Wale Tinubu is exactly the kind of voice AEW 2026 needs on its stage,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “He has built an African energy giant from the ground up, navigated every cycle this industry has thrown at him, and he is still pushing the frontier. His message on African capital, African ownership and African ambition is one every investor, minister and operator at AEW needs to hear.”