By Emmanuel Oluebube, Correspondent UK

Hyve Group Plc, organisers of Africa Oil Week (www.Africa-OilWeek.com) have released the first line-up of Ministers who will be attending the 2021 event due to take place in Dubai 8-11 November.

The initial line-up consists of two former African Presidents, Commissioner for the African Union Commission, Secretary General for AfCFTA and Ministers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Republic of Congo, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Djibouti. This initial line-up suggests government presence at Africa Oil Week 2021 will be as strong as ever.

VP of Energy and Government Relations for Africa Oil Week Paul Sinclair said “Governments are an integral part of Africa Oil Week and we are delighted to be able to provide the sector with much needed direct access to these leaders. Discussions onsite will take the form of 15+ National Energy Showcases, ministerial panel discussions and pre-arranged 1-2-1 meetings and will help to drive investment and advance energy projects in to, and across Africa.”

Africa Oil Week is known for gathering vast numbers of African and international energy ministers and acts as a deal-making platform for the most senior stakeholders within the African upstream industry.

Director-General for Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Directorate Foday Mansaray who has also confirmed his participation said “We are very much looking forward to attending Africa Oil Week in Dubai in November. We look forward to participating in the event and presenting opportunities that Sierra Leone has.”

To date, the following Ministers and government leaders have been announced to attend Africa Oil Week 2021:

*Former President of Nigeria, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo

* Former President of Malawi, H.E. Dr. Peter Arthur Mutharika

* Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission, H.E. Amani Abou-Zeid

* Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E Wamkele Keabetswe Mene

*  Minister of Hydrocarbons, Republic of Congo, Hon. Jean-Marc Thystere Tchicaya

• Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources, Republic of Somalia, Hon. Abdirashiid Mohamed Ahmed
• Minister of Mineral Resources, Republic of Sierra Leone, Hon. Timothy Kabba
• Cabinet Sec Ministry of Petroleum & Mining, Republic of Kenya, Hon. Hon. John Munyes
• State Minister of Mines, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Republic of Ethiopia, Hon. Dr. Koang Tutlam
• Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Gambia, Hon. Fafa Sayang
• Minister of Energy and Water, Republic of Mali, Hon. Lamine Seydou Traore
• Minister of Energy, Republic of Burkina Faso, Hon. Bachir Ismael
• Minister of Energy, Republic of Djibouti, Hon. Yonis Ali Guedi
• CEO, National Oil Company of Liberia, Atty. Saifuah-Mai Gray
• Director General, Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Francis Gatare, Hon. Archie Donmo
•  CEO, Rwanda Mining Petroleum and
• Ag. Chief Executive Officer, Uganda National Oil Company, Proscovia Nabbanja
• CEO, Somalia Petroleum Authority, Ms. Asha Omar
• Director General, Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone, Foday Mansaray
• Head, SNPC, Republic of Congo, Maixent Raoul Ominga
• Commissioner for Petroleum, Ministry of Petroleum & Energy, Republic of Gambia, Jerreh Barrow
• Director for Petroleum Exploration, Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Solomon Kassa
• Director Gen Hydrocarbon, SHT, Republic of Chad, Ibrahim Djamous
• Director General ONAP, Republic of Guinea, Famourou Kourouma

• Director General of the Department of Mines at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Eritrea, Alem Kibreab,