ARTICLE
2 October 2025

AOW Energy 2025: Ghana's Energy Ambitions And The Push For Regional Collaboration

KL
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Contributor

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals. Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years. As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas. We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world.
AOW Energy 2025, held in Accra, Ghana from 15-19 September 2025, brought together governments, regulators, operators and financiers to discuss the future of Africa's energy sector.
Ghana Energy and Natural Resources
Paul Morton’s articles from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP are most popular:
  • within Energy and Natural Resources topic(s)
  • in United States
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP are most popular:
  • within Energy and Natural Resources, Environment and Coronavirus (COVID-19) topic(s)

AOW Energy 2025, held in Accra, Ghana from 15-19 September 2025, brought together governments, regulators, operators and financiers to discuss the future of Africa's energy sector. With Ghana hosting for the first time, the event highlighted the country's upstream resurgence and broader continental efforts to foster regional collaboration, unlock capital, and modernise regulatory frameworks.

As a firm deeply embedded in Africa's energy landscape, HSF Kramer was proud to contribute to the dialogue, with Partners Paul Morton and Nina Bowyer moderating or participating in key sessions focused on upstream finance, regional collaboration, and private sector investment in upstream assets. Their participation reflected our commitment to supporting clients as they pursue their projects and transactions across Africa.

Several themes emerged from AOW Energy:

Ghana's Energy Push: A Sector Reignited

Ghana used its role as host to reaffirm its commitment to revitalising the upstream sector. The event began with the announcement of ENI, Vitol, and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) signing a USD $1.5 billion Memorandum of Intent with the Government of Ghana to expand production capacity and develop the Eban-Akoma field in Cape Three Points Block 4. The agreement outlines an integrated investment plan, aimed at contributing to national goals for reliable, affordable, and low-impact access to energy.

This followed a separate announcement in June 2025, when Tullow Oil, along with Kosmos Energy and GNPC, signed a USD $2 billion framework agreement to extend the Jubilee and TEN field licences to 2040. Subject to parliamentary approval, the deal includes plans to drill up to 20 additional wells and commitments to increase gas supply.

These initiatives represent the most significant upstream investments in Ghana since 2019, signalling renewed investor confidence. The government's strong presence at AOW - including President John Mahama - reinforced its strategic intent to position Ghana as a regional energy hub.

Regional Collaboration: From Vision to Action

AOW also highlighted the growing importance of regional collaboration. With infrastructure gaps and fragmented regulatory regimes continuing to challenge investment, collaboration across borders is increasingly seen as essential to unlocking Africa's energy potential.1686144.jpg

This theme was central to the Cross-Border Projects and Knowledge Exchange panel, moderated by Paul Morton. The session explored practical models for regional development, including integrated service delivery and cross-border infrastructure zones.

Panellists discussed the barriers to collaboration - ranging from visa regimes to data access - and emphasised the role of governments, operators and service providers in driving progress.

Regional collaboration was also a core theme of the Africa Energy Commission's Eastern Africa Oil and Gas Market Report, launched at AOW, calling for "a united front built on strong leadership, regional cooperation, and collective ambition" to ensure Africa's energy future is "secure, sovereign, and sustainable".

Legal and Regulatory Reform

Nina Bowyer spoke on the Upstream Private Sector Leadership Debate, where she addressed the legal and regulatory developments shaping investment decisions across African jurisdictions. Her remarks focused on recent legislative changes - both enabling and constraining - that have affected upstream investment.

Nina highlighted the importance of legal certainty, transparent licensing regimes, and balanced local content policies.
1686144a.jpg

Financing Africa's Upstream: New Capital for New Realities

In a separate session, Paul Morton moderated the Upstream Finance panel, which examined, among other topics, the evolving role of traders, Development Finance Institutions, and alternative financial instruments in funding upstream projects. The discussion addressed the challenges of financing smaller and exploration-stage assets, as well as achieving decarbonisation goals through innovative financing tools.

Final thoughts

AOW Energy 2025 demonstrated that Africa's energy sector is entering a new phase - one driven by national ambition, regional cooperation, and a growing focus on innovation. Ghana's proactive stance, backed by tangible investment, sets a strong example. Meanwhile, the broader dialogue around regional collaboration, financing, and regulatory alignment signalled a maturing energy landscape.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Mondaq uses cookies on this website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies as set out in our Privacy Policy.

Learn More