July 21, 2026 by Joseph Jibueze | Deputy News Editor
Case for strong, harmonised laws to attain net zero
• From left: Oloko, Head of Office of the Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Bakary Traore; Moses, Dr Adefulu, Omotayo, Dr Tolorunse and Tyendezwa at the event.
Legal experts at the Lawyers in Energy Conference 2026 in Lagos called for harmonised laws to drive Africa’s net-zero transition. Deputy News Editor JOSEPH JIBUEZE reports.
Africa’s ambition to attain net-zero emissions could remain out of reach unless governments strengthen and harmonise legal and regulatory frameworks across the continent, legal experts and industry leaders have advocated.
They said fragmented laws, inconsistent regulations and weak enforcement continue to discourage investment, delay energy projects and undermine Africa’s ability to compete in an increasingly carbon-constrained global energy market.
The position formed the central theme of discussions at the Lawyers in Energy International Conference (LEICA 2026), organised by the Lawyers in Energy Network under the theme: “Net zero, energy law and regulatory reform: Managing risk and unlocking opportunity in a carbon-constrained energy market.”
The conference attracted government officials, regulators, lawyers, academics and energy industry stakeholders from across Africa.
It featured plenary sessions, networking events and the LEICA Awards, all aimed at examining how legal and regulatory reforms can support a just, orderly and investment-friendly energy transition.
Ghezali: end fragmented system
Delivering the keynote address, Secretary-General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Farid Ghezali, said Africa’s energy future would depend largely on how quickly the continent could move from fragmented legal systems to a harmonised regulatory framework.
Ghezali said uncertainty had become Africa’s “biggest hidden tax,” while harmonisation remained its “biggest untapped incentive.”
According to him, an international investor seeking opportunities in Africa’s gas sector alone may have to navigate more than 50 different legal and regulatory systems.
The situation, he said, increases transaction costs, delays investment decisions and weakens the continent’s collective bargaining power.
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He said investors now consider five critical factors before committing capital: regulatory stability, fiscal clarity, contract sanctity, environmental and social standards, and the alignment of national policies with regional and global trends.
Ghezali cited the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum (AFRIPERF), which brings together regulators from 16 African countries around common principles of transparency, safety and environmental protection, as evidence that the continent was gradually moving from regulatory fragmentation towards cooperation.
He stressed that harmonisation does not imply uniform laws or the erosion of national sovereignty, noting that every African country would continue to exercise control over its natural re
Rather, he said, the objective should be convergence around shared principles of transparency, safety standards, local content requirements and credible dispute resolution mechanisms capable of inspiring investor confidence.
He urged African governments to embrace five commitments: moving from fragmentation to cooperation; protecting both sovereignty and regulatory convergence; using regulation as a bridge between energy transition and development; ensuring inclusive lawmaking that reflects the interests of communities, youths and women; and speaking with a stronger, unified African voice in global energy governance.
“Africa is not asking for permission to develop; it is asking for partnership to develop better,” Ghezali said. “Harmonised, modern and inclusive regulation is the language of that partnership.”
Minister of State for Petroleum Re, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by the Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum Reed to ensuring that its energy sector is governed by a transparent, predictable and enforceable legal framework
According to him, the Petroleum Industry Act has laid a solid foundation for regulatory clarity across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the industry.
He added that the Climate Change Act and Nigeria’s emerging carbon-credit framework were designed to strengthen investor confidence while supporting the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
One message had resonated across every panel discussion, keynote address and technical session: Africa’s transition to a low-carbon economy will not be driven by ambition alone.
Participants agreed that achieving net zero will require coherent laws, harmonised regulations, effective enforcement, credible dispute-resolution mechanisms and sustained collaboration among governments, regulators, investors and the legal profession.
The conference’s opening plenary session, with the theme: “Net zero as a legal and regulatory mandate,” examined net zero not merely as an environmental aspiration but as an emerging legal obligation reshaping the global energy landscape.
Participants explored the evolving role of law in driving decarbonisation through carbon pricing mechanisms, emissions standards, fiscal incentives, disclosure obligations, and energy transition policies.
The guest speaker was Managing Partner of Odunjirin & Adefulu, Dr Adeoye Adefulu.
Panellists included Mr Tyendezwa; Commission Secretary and Legal Adviser of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (represented by Head of Commercial and Legal Services, Pilar Moses); and Authority Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Dr Joseph Tolorunse.
General Counsel at Matrix Energy, Tomi Omotayo, moderated the session.
Attention shifted during the second plenary to the role of natural gas in the energy transition, with speakers examining whether gas should remain a bridge fuel or whether policy uncertainty could undermine its long-term
The session, with the topic: “Gas as a transition fuel: Legal certainty or policy ambiguity?” explored how long gas could realistically serve as a transition fuel, the legal framework for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), flare-out initiatives and measures to avoid stranded infrastructure.
Head of Legal at PI-CNG, Theodora Nnodim, delivered the lead presentation, highlighting the importance of a predictable legal environment in unlocking investments across the gas value chain.
She noted that while Africa possesses abundant natural gas regy access, investors require greater certainty regarding government policy, regulatory stability and long-term transition strategies
Panellists, including Acting Managing Director and Gas Asset Manager at Neconde Energy Limited, Chichi Emenike; Manager of Legal and Commercial Operations at Moni Pulo Limited, Ijeoma Emma-Nweye; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Gas Association, Taji Ogbe; and Deputy Managing Partner at G. Elias & Co, Okechukwu Okoro, agreed that gas would remain indispensable to Africa’s transition, provided governments establish stable policies capable of attracting long-term capital.
The session was moderated by Senior Associate at George Etomi & Partners, Diana Okop.
Activities on the opening day concluded with a dinner and the LEICA Awards ceremony, where participants reflected on the day’s discussions and celebrated excellence within the energy law community.
Proceedings resumed on the second day with the third plenary session. The topic was: “Energy sector reforms for an orderly net-zero transition.”
The discussion focused on how governments, regulators and industry players can redesign legal and regulatory frameworks through pricing mechanisms, licensing regimes, fiscal incentives and carbon governance structures to support a transition that is not only environmentally sustainable but also commercially
Speakers stressed that poorly sequenced reforms could create unintended consequences, including stranded assets, regulatory fragmentation, investor hesitation and inequitable outcomes across the energy sector.
They also examined strategies for aligning regulatory reforms with investment realities, ensuring proper sequencing of policy changes, avoiding frequent policy reversals, strengthening carbon-trading frameworks, preventing greenwashing and expanding the role of lawyers in structuring carbon-related transactions.
The guest speaker was Mrs Yemisi Awonuga, Principal Partner at Y Awonuga LP.
Panellists included Executive Director, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at Oando Plc, Ayotola Jagun; General Manager, Legal, Exploration and Production at Seplat Energy Plc, Dr Chinedu Idike; Director and Group Managing Counsel at CLG Global, Adeleke Alao; and postgraduate researcher at the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Lagos State University, Adekunle Saheed Akinola.
The session was moderated by Managing Partner at Compos Mentis, Emokiniovo Dafe-Akpedeye.
Attention then turned to dispute resolution, an issue participants described as increasingly critical in an evolving energy market shaped by climate obligations and regulatory reforms.
The fourth plenary, themed: “Dispute Resolution in a Carbon-Constrained Energy Market: Managing Regulatory and Investment Risks,” examined the expanding role of arbitration, mediation, litigation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in addressing the legal and commercial disputes likely to accompany the global energy transition.
Speakers observed that effective dispute-resolution mechanisms are essential to strengthening investor confidence, promoting regulatory certainty and supporting sustainable energy development across both emerging and mature energy markets.
Lead presentations were delivered by Prof. Bayo Adaralegbe, Lead Partner at NINEWELLS Law Practice, and Augustine Okafor, Partner at Kenna Partners.
Panellists included Head of the Upstream Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (ADRC), Augustine Okwah; Coordinator of the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (MDPADRC), Charles Nwachukwu; Lead Counsel at Gadwell Law Practice, Deborah Lucky-Deekor; and Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Olabisi Makanjuola.
The discussion was moderated by Senior Associate at Aluko & Oyebode, Emma Ndiyo.
The conference’s fifth plenary looked beyond current reforms to examine how the legal profession must evolve to support an increasingly decarbonised global economy.
The session, which focused on “The future of energy law in a net-zero world,” noted that energy law is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional focus on rer driving decarbonisation, enabling innovation and safeguarding a just energy transition
Speakers observed that the future of energy law would be shaped by a convergence of climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, rapid advances in clean-energy technologies, changing investment patterns and growing public expectations for accountability, sustainability and environmental responsibility.
They argued that legal systems must anticipate change, manage emerging risks and provide the certainty required for long-term investment in an increasingly complex global energy landscape.
The guest speaker was Dr Ayodele Oni, Partner at Bloomfield LP.
Panellists included Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Ikeja Electric, Babatunde Osadare; Dr Adenike Oluwatoyin Esan of Antan Producing Limited; researcher at Aix-Marseille University, France, Omoefe Siakpere; and Legal Associate at Wigwe & Partners, Ikechukwu Obialor.
The session was moderated by Ms Oyindamola Omisore, Senior Associate at Africa Law Practice NG & Co.
Throughout the conference, speakers repeatedly returned to one central message: Africa’s energy transition will succeed only if governments provide legal certainty, strengthen regulatory institutions and enforce existing laws consistently.
Tyendezwa emphasised that investors respond positively to jurisdictions where the legal and regulatory environment is stable and predictable.
According to him, Africa possesses the legal expertise required to support the continent’s energy transition, but lawyers must become active participants in shaping energy policy rather than passive observers.
“Our lawyers are, by and large, adequate. The more there is certainty, the more investments,” he said.
Tyendezwa stressed that legal practitioners have a responsibility not only to interpret the law but also to help shape the future of the energy industry.
“The legal profession should never be a bystander. We have a key role in what happens in the energy sector. We have a key role in shaping the energy future.
“Who is in a better position to put regulators and others on their toes than lawyers? They are key partners in building our energy future.”
Moses said the NUPRC had established its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre as a centre of excellence for resolving disputes within the upstream petroleum sector.
He explained that the initiative was intended to encourage investment by providing quicker, less adversarial mechanisms for resolving commercial disagreements.
According to him, the ADR framework enables parties to preserve business relationships while continuing to fulfil contractual obligations that are not in dispute.
Dr Tolorunse argued that the challenge facing Nigeria was no longer the absence of laws but ensuring their effective implementation and enforcement.
He noted that while the country already has numerous laws, regulations and policy guidelines governing the energy sector, greater attention must now be paid to compliance and regulatory discipline.
Tolorunse also underscored the importance of harmonising legal frameworks across the continent if Africa hopes to attain net-zero emissions by 2060.
“We need to move faster, and we need to be disciplined,” he said.
For George Etomi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lawyers in Energy Network, the pursuit of net-zero emissions has moved beyond environmental advocacy to become a major legal, commercial and investment issue.
He said lawyers now occupy a strategic position in designing the legal frameworks required to promote sustainable investment, resolve disputes and support responsible energy development.
According to Etomi, countries such as Nigeria must carefully balance environmental sustainability with energy security, economic development and the need to attract long-term investment.
He said the legal profession would continue to play an indispensable role in achieving that balance by providing certainty, protecting contractual rights and supporting sound regulatory reforms.
Founder and Executive Secretary of the Lawyers in Energy Network, Raqueebah Oloko, said the conference was conceived as a platform for examining the legal and regulatory reforms required to help African countries navigate the global energy transition without compromising their development aspirations.
She explained that the conference sought to bring together regulators, policymakers, lawyers, academics and industry leaders to exchange ideas capable of strengthening Africa’s energy future.
Oloko recalled that the organisation, established in 2015 as the Lawyers in Oil and Gas Network, has evolved into a leading professional platform for legal practitioners, in-house counsel, government officials and academics working across the energy sector.
Today, she said, the Network collaborates with law firms, government institutions, regulators and private-sector operators in promoting legal excellence, regulatory development and capacity building within the industry.
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