West African energy executives to seek Scottish joint ventures in 2026
A curated 2026 trade delegation in Aberdeen aims to connect West African hydrocarbon and renewables operators with Scottish engineering expertise to facilitate joint ventures and investment.
The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) will lead a delegation of senior West African energy executives to Aberdeen in September 2026. The goal is to negotiate partnerships, joint ventures, and investment pathways with Scottish oil, gas, and renewables firms.
The four-day programme, running from September 1 to 4, is anchored by the Energy Exports Conference. Rather than relying on standard trade show networking, the itinerary is built around curated, pre-arranged private meetings with targeted Scottish suppliers and project developers. Delegates will also conduct site visits to key infrastructure, including Aberdeen Harbour, and attend closed-door roundtables.
The commercial focus spans the full energy lifecycle. African governments and private operators are currently working to extract maximum value from mature hydrocarbon assets while simultaneously funding low-carbon infrastructure. SABA officials highlighted that Scotland's track record in complex deepwater operations, asset integrity management, and carbon capture directly matches these African market requirements.
Organisers emphasised the strict curation of the event. “Too often, international visits rely on chance encounters and missed opportunities. This delegation removes that uncertainty. Every meeting is prequalified, every introduction is purposeful and every moment is designed to deliver value and results,” said Frazer Lang, CEO of SABA.
For the Scottish supply chain, the African continent is viewed as a critical growth market as domestic North Sea production matures. The event is structured to move beyond preliminary discussions into tangible commercial outcomes, specifically targeting local content development and bilateral investment models. “For Scottish energy firms, the African continent represents one of the most significant growth opportunities in global energy,” SABA officials stated.
The initiative initially targeted Nigeria but has since broadened to include senior decision-makers across West Africa due to what organisers described as strong, unsolicited demand. SABA is partnering with George Okoroma, an Aberdeenshire-based innovation leader with deep ties to FIDIC Africa, to coordinate the logistics.
To maintain the commercial quality of the interactions, the delegation size is being deliberately restricted. Organisers warned that places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to preserve the right seniority and sectoral balance among attendees.
