PETAN Chairman Wole Ogunsanya Elected First-Ever Chair of African Local Content Organisation

Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and CEO of Geoplex Drillteq Limited, has been elected as the pioneer Chairman of the African Local Content Organisation (ALCO) — a landmark move set to strengthen regional cooperation in Africa’s oil and gas industry.

His election took place during a high-level gathering of oil and gas stakeholders from across the continent, where key steps toward ALCO’s formal establishment were finalized. The organisation’s mission is clear: promote indigenous participation, drive technology transfer, and boost capacity building across Africa’s energy sector.

A New Era for Local Content in Africa

As ALCO’s first Chairman, Ogunsanya will lead the organisation’s formative stage and oversee operations until the inaugural General Assembly. His leadership is expected to champion energy poverty reduction through regional collaboration and sustainable local content development.

“Congratulations our dear beloved and amiable Chairman! PETAN trusts in your ability to drive this noble concept to a successful take-off,” PETAN shared in a celebratory LinkedIn post.

Formally agreed upon by African stakeholders in February, ALCO will encourage knowledge sharing, equipment pooling, training programs, and cross-border collaboration. The official launch is scheduled for 2026 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Building on Nigeria’s Success

PETAN, founded in 1994, has been instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s local content policies, fostering partnerships, and promoting indigenous capacity building across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 boosted local participation from under 3% to an impressive 54% by December 2024.

“The Local Content Law has enabled many Nigerian companies to engage across the value chain — from upstream to downstream — removing entry barriers and empowering local firms to compete effectively,” Ogunsanya said earlier this year during the African Content Collaboration Session at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas.

With ALCO, Ogunsanya is poised to extend Nigeria’s local content success story to the entire continent.