Ghana has announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Africa Energies Summit holding between May 12 and 14 in London, United Kingdom, amid concerns about the organisers’ exclusion of Black African experts from key roles and discussions.
The country’s decision was contained in a statement on Friday by the Energy Chamber Ghana.
It echoes concerns about “discrimination, exclusion, and the marginalisation of African voices” raised by oil and gas stakeholders across the continent.
“Ghana’s boycott is not simply about one event; it is about principle, representation, and ensuring that African countries are treated as equal partners in discussions about their own resources,” the chamber said.
It said the decision comes as Ghana moves to stabilise oil production, monetise gas, and invest in infrastructure to boost industrial growth.
According to the chamber, excluding African experts risks undermining the partnerships and growth the country’s industry is trying to build.
Like several other industry stakeholders, Energy Chamber Ghana accused Frontier Energy Network, the organisers of the annual event, of continually shutting out Black African professionals from leadership roles.
The body urged the Ghanaian energy stakeholders—policymakers, engineers, investors, and academics—to also withdraw from the event that marginalises African voices in global discussions until “corrective action is demonstrated by organisers.”
“The move sends a strong signal: Africa’s energy industry must be shaped with African institutions and companies at the centre of the conversation,” it said.
Highlighting Ghana’s investment in its energy sector, the chamber maintained that “Ghana is not a spectator in Africa’s energy story,” adding that “Africa cannot be treated as a marketplace for attendance while Africans are treated as optional participants in execution.”
”Platforms that carry Africa’s name must reflect Africa’s people,” Energy Chamber Ghana’s executive chairman, Joshua B. Narh, said on LinkedIn. “Until we see transparency and measurable inclusion, it is both reasonable and responsible for stakeholders across our ecosystem to reconsider participation.”
He added, “Africa’s energy sector cannot accept a future where conferences built on African participation exclude African professionals from meaningful roles behind the scenes.”
In March, Mozambique said it would not participate in the summit, stating that the “behaviour” of the Gayle Meikle and Daniel Davidson-led Frontier Energy Network in hiring Black professionals “is something that many Mozambicans and Africans find offensive.”
Similarly, the petroleum ministers of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) announced their decision to boycott the event days after calls by a leading pan-African advocacy organisation, the African Energy Chamber (AEC).
