Help not hinder Africa
Oil in Africa has a bad press—but it needn't be that way, argues a new book
Books on oil in Africa, even the good ones, seem unavoidably to be tales of looting and corruption, poverty and ecological degradation. Spend long enough reporting on energy in the continent and the notebook fills with tales: the minister who demanded hundreds of millions in kickbacks to let a corporate deal go ahead; the company that dumped its toxic materials in the bush thinking no one was looking. A new book*, by energy lawyer NJ Ayuk and analyst João Gaspar Marques, takes a different tack. It's not another story of how things have gone wrong, but a gentle polemic—by way of case studies from different producer-countries—about how to make things right. It's a refreshing approach. The book
Also in this section
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
