As the African energy landscape undergoes a seismic shift towards integration, innovation, and sustainability, one figure helping steer this transformation is Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima—the former Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea and current Chairman of the Strategic Partnerships and Funding Committee for the Central African Pipeline System (CAPS).
In a season when Africa is looking inward to solve its energy challenges, Obiang Lima’s work with CAPS represents a bold and collective vision—a 6,500-kilometer transnational energy corridor that will connect 11 Central African countries through pipelines, refineries, LNG hubs, power stations, and storage facilities. It’s a project that not only underscores the importance of infrastructure, but also of financing, partnerships, and regional cooperation—core elements that align perfectly with the theme of the upcoming Africa Energy Technology Conference, scheduled for May 27–29, 2025, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
The Central African Pipeline System is more than a megaproject—it is a declaration that African nations are ready to shape their own energy destiny. Under Obiang Lima’s stewardship, the Strategic Partnerships and Funding Committee is working tirelessly to attract the estimated $10 billion in investment needed for CAPS to become a reality. His advocacy for African-led funding mechanisms, sovereign collaboration, and public-private partnerships resonates deeply with this year’s conference theme: “INNOVATE, INVEST, IMPLEMENT: Revolutionised Financing for Sustainable Energy Sector Growth in Africa.”
The CAPS initiative speaks directly to one of the most critical barriers in Africa’s energy ecosystem—fragmentation. Many African countries operate in silos, leading to inefficiencies in energy access, production, and distribution. CAPS proposes a different model: one built on cooperation, shared infrastructure, and cross-border synergies.
This year’s conference in Accra provides a platform to spotlight how projects like CAPS are setting the pace for a new financing mindset—where infrastructure is integrated, investment is strategic, and implementation is driven by continental priorities rather than external prescriptions.
Gabriel Obiang Lima’s voice at the Africa Energy Technology Conference will be crucial—not only because of his experience and influence but also because of the balance he brings to the debate around Africa’s energy transition. He is one of the few leaders openly advocating for a pragmatic mix of oil, gas, and renewables to ensure that Africa’s energy poverty crisis is addressed before any global decarbonization targets are met.
In his words and actions, Obiang Lima champions the belief that energy access is a right, not a privilege—and that Africa must be empowered to build a future where every nation can light its homes, power its industries, and grow its economy on its own terms.
With leaders like Gabriel Obiang Lima in attendance, the Africa Energy Technology Conference promises to be more than just another industry gathering. It’s a chance for bold ideas to meet funding, for policy to align with practice, and for regional projects like CAPS to find new champions and collaborators.
Africa’s energy future is already taking shape—and it’s being shaped by Africans who are ready to innovate, invest, and implement with courage and clarity.
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