In partnership with Africa Legal, Olaniwun Ajayi LP hosted the inaugural OA Energy Leadership Forum during African Energy Week 2025 in Cape Town. The half-day side event, themed “Beyond Divestments: Unleashing Indigenous Capacity to Drive Nigeria’s Upstream Growth,” explored the evolving landscape of indigenous participation in Africa’s energy industry.
The Forum opened with Scott Cowan (Founder and CEO, Africa Legal) and Ibi Ogunbiyi (Partner, OALP) setting the tone for a day of forward-looking discussions on financing, innovation and sustainable leadership.
The central panel session, “Unleashing Indigenous Capacity: Finance, Innovation, Strategy and Operational Levers for Scalable Growth,” was moderated by Damilola Salawu (Partner, OALP) and featured a distinguished line-up of speakers: Roger Brown (Seplat Energy), Dr. Philip Mshelbila (Nigeria LNG Limited), Dele Kuti (Standard Bank Group), Bashorun Oladimeji (Energia Limited) and Dr. Tosin Etomi (Asharami Energy).
The conversation examined how African operators can unlock new forms of capital, strengthen investor confidence, and enhance operational capacity amid shifting global energy priorities.
A fireside chat followed with Dr. Tominiyi Owolabi (Managing Partner, OALP) and Mr. Adegbite Falade (CEO, Aradel Holdings Plc), who shared insights on scaling with purpose and building resilient business models in Africa’s energy transition.
Scott Cowan and Chuks Ibechukwu (Managing Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi (UK) LLP) closed the Forum, highlighting the shared vision between OALP and Africa Legal to drive indigenous capacity development and foster meaningful collaboration across Africa’s energy ecosystem.