According to the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook, this trade imbalance is a defining – and costly – feature of the continent’s energy landscape, shaping infrastructure priorities, investment needs and long-term energy security. Yet limited refining capacity forces many countries to export low-value crude while importing high-value petroleum products. The African Continental Free Trade Area offers a platform to expand intra-African energy trade, strengthening supply resilience and generating economies of scale. “Africa produces the oil the world needs, but too much of the value still leaves the continent,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. By convening policymakers, national oil companies, operators, traders and infrastructure developers, AEW fosters dialogue and partnerships across the energy value chain, highlighting strategies for refining, storage, logistics and regional integration.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 19, 2026 17:26 UTC