Brief Summary
This YouTube video transcript captures the proceedings of the Africa Gas Innovation Summit (AGIS) 2025, focusing on building a resilient African economy through innovation and collaboration in the gas sector. Key activities include a hackathon for young innovators, panel discussions on capital flows, market openness, and ESG-driven finance, and presentations from various stakeholders including government officials, industry experts, and representatives from financial institutions. The summit emphasizes the importance of domestic gas utilisation, regional integration, and sustainable practices to drive economic growth and energy security across the continent.
- Hackathon and startup pitches
- Panel discussions on finance, policy, and sustainability
- Emphasis on regional collaboration and local content
Shake, Shake, Shake
The video starts with some music and sounds.
Testing Audio
The audio is tested with "Hello. Hello. Can you hear me?" and "Good morning. We can hear you."
Music Interlude
A musical interlude plays.
More Audio Testing
Further audio checks are conducted with "Check. Check. Check. One, two." and "Check. Check."
Music and Slogans
Music continues with the slogan "Inspiring a sustainable future" repeated.
Kevin's Entrance Time
The speaker jokingly accuses Kevin of trying to trick him about being the first person to arrive. He then questions several attendees about their arrival times, seeking verification from VR (Video Assistant Referee) and cleaners. The speaker emphasises that the prize is for the first person inside the auditorium, not just on the premises.
Settling the Punctuality Reward
The speaker determines the winner of the punctuality reward by asking two contestants, who arrived at slightly different times, to decide between themselves who was first. The reward is then given to the winner, who banks with Standard Chartered, before switching to First Bank. The winner's account details are taken, and the transfer is confirmed. The speaker jokes about VR's performance and welcomes everyone to day two.
Commitment to Reward Punctuality
The speaker announces that he will give out cash and gifts to the first person who enters his events from now until the end of the year, starting with the next event on Monday at the Abuja Continental. He criticises "African time" and introduces Dr. Nadia Alban to take over and drive the conversation for the next couple of minutes.
Hackathon Startups
Dr. Alban expresses her happiness to be at the event. She mentions that there are early-stage startups from Nigeria and Cameroon. She asks the audience to be patient with them and give them constructive feedback. She also mentions a special presentation by the young generation of SPE. She asks everyone to go to a website and put in their comments. She also asks Mr. Thank God to judge and needs a volunteer from Cipher Crescent to judge the startups.
ConX Presentation
Mari, the founder of Konigo, presents an AI-driven platform helping Nigerians access petroleum products in real-time. The app enables users to find nearby petroleum outlets, view prices and ratings, and visualise crowd congestion. Konix makes money through payment processing and dealership percentages. The total available market is about $500 million in Nigeria. They are seeking investment of $100 to $250,000 to complete the development of Konics.
Carbon EX Presentation
Solomon AK, co-founder of CarbonX, presents Africa's first carbon-financed clean cooking platform, making LPG affordable and accessible to women in low-income households. Their IoT-enabled cook stoves track carbon savings, which are converted to carbon credits to subsidise monthly LPG refills. They are looking for $40,000 to scale and deploy 200 cook stoves for a six-month pilot.
Carbon Wise Presentation
Carbon Wise wants to update slides.
Transformers Presentation
Tara, the founder of Transformers Niger Limited, presents a startup waste conversion company working on a biogas generation project, converting poo into gas. They target students and households, offering cost-effective cooking fuel and organic fertiliser. They are seeking investment of a million dollar.
GPMP Presentation
Loi Ajoku, the founder of NGP, presents Project GPMP, a service that helps workers prevent pipeline leakages by detecting pipelines that need maintenance early. It's a website where users fill in parameters about the pipeline, and it predicts if the pipeline needs critical maintenance. They are asking for $12,000.
Cameroon Presentation Issues
There are technical issues with the Cameroon presentation, so it is moved to the end.
Sonic Eye Presentation
Patience presents Sonic Eye, a real-time IoT system that monitors water, gas, and fuel levels. It uses an ultrasonic sensor and provides real-time data and preset level notifications. They are also thinking of having this data stored up somewhere so that they can assess it and make decisions. They are asking for strategic partnership.
Carbon Wise Presentation (Again)
Organise, from Carbon Wise, presents a next-generation carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) system that helps companies cut emissions and make money. Carbon Wise captures CO2 directly from emissions, breaks it down using plasma technology, and sells the repurposed carbon and oxygen to industries. They are asking for $85,000 for building their first four digital components.
Closing Remarks and Thanks
Dr. Alban thanks everyone who has presented.
Opening Remarks from Council Chair
The council chair welcomes everyone to day two of the Africa Gas Innovation Summit (AGIS) 2025. She acknowledges the rich and engaging sessions from the previous day and congratulates the hackathon participants. She emphasises the need to unlock gas resources to power development ambitions and foster ecosystems of innovation and inclusive partnerships. She encourages everyone to participate, share ideas, and explore partnerships.
Remarks from President of Nigerian Society of Engineers
The president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers expresses her appreciation for the invitation to the summit. She highlights the importance of natural gas for powering industries and accelerating inclusive development. She emphasizes the society's commitment to fostering homegrown innovation, promoting sustainable engineering practices, and collaborating across disciplines.
Panel Introduction: Capital Flows and Market Openness
The moderator introduces the panel on "Capital Flows and Market Openness: The Path to Integration." The panel includes representatives from Park Capital Limited, the House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Access Bank PLC, and Afric Exim Bank.
Opening the Discussion: Opportunities and Challenges
The moderator frames the discussion around how to open up opportunities made available by the African free trade agreement and achieve scalable gas projects. He asks the panel where they see the opportunity and how to open it all up.
Political and Legal Considerations
Humphrey from Park Capital discusses the political, legal, technical, and financial aspects of gas infrastructure projects. He emphasises the need for political stability, proper legal structures, and bankable project designs to attract investors.
Addressing Constraints: ESG and Basel Requirements
Peter from Afric Exim Bank discusses how to address constraints such as ESG and Basel requirements. He mentions the creation of a project preparation facility to provide up to $3 million for feasibility studies and technical due diligence.
Commercial Banks and Local Players
Ishmail from Access Bank discusses how commercial banks can tie into the gas opportunity. He emphasises the need to retain, reattract, and respect capital by creating an enabling environment and predictable regulations.
Government's Role in Enabling Investment
Honourable Cessi discusses the government's role in enabling investment. She mentions the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a foundation for rapid growth and the need for public-private partnerships.
Audience Questions and Policy Impact
The moderator opens the floor for questions from the audience. The panel discusses how policies can be adjusted to attract local and foreign investment.
The Role of PIA and EOs
Peter discusses the role of the PIA in creating transparent laws and standards. He also mentions the importance of consistent regulations and the need to empower African institutions.
Pension Funds and Retail Investors
Humphrey discusses the potential for pension funds and retail investors to contribute to gas infrastructure projects. He also mentions the need for guarantees and insurance to de-risk financing.
Panel Summary and Key Takeaways
The moderator summarises the key takeaways from the panel discussion, including the availability of funds, the need for a good enabling environment, and the importance of growing capacity.
Panel Conclusion and Thank You
The moderator thanks the panel and invites a former AROD to present thank you packs to the panelists.
Final Hackathon Presentations
The final two hackathon presentations are introduced.
Reuben from Cameroon Presentation
Robin Biso from Cameroon presents Five Coin, a solution to track, authenticate, manage, optimise, and monetise gas bottles. The solution secures every bottle and tracks them in real-time. They are seeking $110,000 for their pilot phase.
Patrick Esenachi Presentation
Patrick Esenachi presents a project to turn waste into wealth by converting polyethylene and polypropylene waste into clean energy. They plan to establish a plastic-to-gas hub in River State and Emmo State.
Break Announcement
A short tea break is announced, with a return time of 11:45 for the final round of the hackathon.
Music Interlude
A musical interlude plays.
Welcome Back and Finalists Announcement
The audience is welcomed back, and Dr. Alban announces the four finalists: Sonic Eye, Transformers, ConX, and Carbon Wise.
Finalist Defences
Each finalist is given two minutes to defend why they should win the cash prize.
- Carbon EX: Solomon argues that with $40,000, Carbonets will make it possible for 20 million households in Nigeria to access climate finance.
- Sonic Eye: Patience argues that their product is of great use to residential homes, commercial buildings, and government.
- ConX: Michael argues that thousands of Nigerians are facing problems when it comes to buying petroleum products.
- Transformers: T Aisha Ata argues that with the financial ask, they are not just looking to put out a product, they're looking to build the whole value chain.
- Carbon Wise: Carbon Wise argues that they need the funding to build their first four digital components and test their product.
Audience Voting and Next Steps
The audience votes for their preferred finalist through applause. The scores will be combined with the judges' scores, and the winners will be announced later.
Introduction to Panel: Unleashing Domestic and Regional Gas Trading
The moderator introduces the panel on "Unleashing Domestic and Regional Gas Trading." The panel includes representatives from NNPC, T-shift Consultancy Services, NUPRC, and Orando Clean Energy Limited.
Key Barriers to Gas Trading
Rita Quento discusses the key barriers limiting domestic and regional gas trading, including inadequate infrastructure, unstable pricing, and security concerns.
Market Size and Missed Opportunities
Engineer Janice discusses the market size and missed opportunities in gas trading. She highlights the vast gas reserves in Africa and the low per capita usage of gas.
Integrating Domestic Gas Utilization
Dr. N shares how rich countries like Nigeria can integrate the domestic gas utilization strategy with frameworks like the EcoAS gas pipeline.
Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
Honourable Cessi discusses the need for policies that make financing easy and the importance of amending laws to make investment in the sector available and easy to access.
Financial Projections and Investment
The panel discusses financial projections and investment strategies.
Panel Summary and Key Takeaways
The moderator summarises the key takeaways from the panel discussion, including the availability of funds, the need for a good enabling environment, and the importance of growing capacity.
Panel Conclusion and Thank You
The moderator thanks the panel and invites a former AROD to present thank you packs to the panelists.
Sponsor Remarks and Thank You
Representatives from NNPC and Cipher Crescent give brief remarks and express their support for the summit.
PTDF Presentation Introduction
The head of the gas division at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is introduced to give a presentation.
PTDF Presentation: Capacity Building and Innovation
The PTDF representative outlines the fund's role in capacity building, infrastructure development, and research support. He discusses the establishment of centers of excellence and the pursuit of collaborations to develop homegrown technologies for the gas sector.
Hackathon Winners Announcement
The winners of the hackathon are announced:
- 4th Place: Carbon Wise
- 3rd Place: Trash Formers
- 2nd Place: My Gaz (Cameroon)
- 1st Place: ConX
Introduction to Panel: ESG-Driven Finance
The moderator introduces the panel on "ESG-Driven Finance for a Resilient Gas Sector." The panel includes representatives from Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Limited, Petrolon Energy Limited, and other experts.
Defining ESG and its Relevance to Gas
The panel discusses the definition of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and its relevance to the gas sector. They explore the challenges and opportunities of integrating ESG principles into gas projects.
Barriers to ESG Finance in the Gas Sector
The panel discusses the barriers to ESG finance in the gas sector, including the perception of gas as not being green enough, social conflicts, and regulatory uncertainty.
The Role of Government and Private Sector
The panel discusses the role of government and the private sector in promoting ESG-driven finance. They emphasise the need for clear regulations, consistent policies, and collaboration.
Carbon Credits and Sustainable Practices
The panel discusses carbon credits and sustainable practices.
Final Remarks and Adjournment
The final remarks for the summit are given, and the event is adjourned.
