The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is hosting a Leadership Roundtable at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum 2027 in Paris, bringing together gas-producing countries to discuss the sector's commercial and strategic priorities. This event comes as Africa's gas industry faces rising demand, reshaped LNG markets, and new supply challenges. The GECF forecasts LNG exports from Africa to reach 110 billion cubic meters by 2030 and 215 billion cubic meters by 2050.
Africa is expanding its role in global LNG markets, with producers including Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Mauritania, Senegal, and Nigeria. The GECF projects growing LNG trade with Asia and within African markets. Recent developments, such as Tanzania's $42 billion LNG project and ExxonMobil's advancements on Mozambique's Rovuma LNG project, have reinforced the strategic value of Africa's LNG supply base.
For African producers, expanding exports is only one part of the equation, as domestic gas demand rises and governments seek to use gas to improve electricity supply, support industrial development, and create new revenue streams. This creates a need to balance export projects with domestic offtake, pipeline infrastructure, gas processing, and gas-to-power development. Coordination between producing countries can help address these challenges.
Sharing experience on fiscal frameworks, project development, infrastructure, and market access can help governments compete for investment while strengthening the case for regional gas infrastructure and cross-border trade. The global market is becoming more competitive, with Asia accounting for the largest share of planned LNG import capacity. Disruptions to Middle Eastern supply have reinforced concerns around security of supply and increased the strategic importance of alternative producers.
The GECF Leadership Roundtable at IAE 2027 will provide a senior-level setting to examine these issues alongside investors and project developers needed to advance them. The wider forum aims to connect African energy markets with global capital, focusing on projects spanning gas, LNG, infrastructure, and power. African gas producers face the question of how effectively their resources can be developed, connected to markets, and converted into reliable energy and industrial growth.
The Paris roundtable will put producer coordination at the center of the investment conversation. This event is crucial for Africa's gas industry, which is entering a period where cooperation between producing countries could become increasingly important. The GECF Leadership Roundtable will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the sector's challenges and opportunities.
The IAE Forum 2027 will take place in Paris from May 11-13, providing a platform for African energy markets to connect with global capital. The forum will focus on projects that can help Africa's gas producers develop their resources, compete for investment, and strengthen the case for regional gas infrastructure and cross-border trade.
Key points
- The GECF Leadership Roundtable aims to facilitate coordination between gas-producing countries.
- Africa's LNG exports are forecasted to reach 110 billion cubic meters by 2030 and 215 billion cubic meters by 2050.
- The event will discuss commercial and strategic priorities shaping Africa's gas sector.
