In line with the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference’s vision to make African energy poverty history by 2030, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, President of the Strategic Partnership and Fund Committee for the Central African Pipeline System (CAPS), is returning to this year’s edition as a speaker. Lima’s participation comes as the development of CAPS - an integrated network of downstream and midstream oil and gas infrastructure - is advancing with an aim to enhance energy access, reduce fuel imports and spur industrial growth in Central Africa.

In July 2025, a significant milestone was achieved when the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) and the Central Africa Business & Energy Forum signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to kick-start a feasibility study for CAPS. The MoU sets the foundation for participation from up to 11 Central African countries in evaluating the project’s viability, regional impact and national contributions. The 6,500km pipeline network will enhance Central Africa’s energy market resilience and affordability by optimizing the exploitation, local beneficiation and distribution of Africa’s estimated 125.3 billion barrels of crude oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas resources.

With APPO finalizing the launch of the multi-billion African Energy Bank with the African Export-Import Bank this year, the organization’s participation in the MoU and interest in CAPS is timely. The MoU not only strengthens regional collaboration but also strategically positions CAPS to be shortlisted for financing from the new bank. Furthermore, with 18 oil-producing APPO member states focused on accelerating the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources, the organization’s involvement in CAPS represents a powerful step toward eradicating energy poverty and enhancing regional energy security. The CAPS project will encompass oil, gas and LPG pipelines, pumping stations, storage terminals, refineries and gas-fired power plants, all contributing to regional energy access and industrial transformation.

AEW: Invest in African Energies serves as the continent’s premier platform for connecting high-impact African projects such as CAPS with global investors. Under the theme, Invest in African Energy: Positioning Africa as the Global Energy Champion, the event provides a strategic venue for Lima to present updates on CAPS milestones, development timelines and its alignment with Africa’s broader industrialization agenda. With the pipeline set to span various countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and São Tomé & Príncipe, AEW: Invest in African Energies enables Lima to engage directly with policymakers and stakeholders vital to advancing the initiative.

“As Africa advances its ‘drill baby drill’ agenda, building robust downstream and midstream infrastructure for local energy beneficiation and distribution is critical,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The CAPS project, under Lima’s leadership, is a testament to Africa’s breakthrough in closing infrastructure gaps. Projects like CAPS are essential to lifting 600 million people out of energy poverty and providing access to clean cooking for over 900 million.”