African Oil News & Analysis

Italy’s Mattei Plan: Geoeconomic Projection into Africa

Generated by Google Gemini AI on September 26, 2025. All flags, maps, and likenesses contained within this image are not necessarily accurate representations of reality.

The Mattei Plan is a past paradigm of Italy-Africa engagement that the Meloni administration is hoping will help consolidate Italy’s position as Europe’s southern actor in Africa. But complex geopolitical dynamics risk reducing the Plan to yet another initiative whose ambition outpaced its capacity to endure.

An African Powder Keg: Terrorism in the Sahel

cc Flickr U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou, modified, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/, Minister of Defense and Veteran affairs, Chèrif Sy, U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Andrew Young, render honors during a pass and review portion of the closing ceremony to Flintlock 2019. This year’s exercise is being hosted by U.S. African partner nation Burkina Faso. By bringing members of the G5 Sahel, Multinational Joint Task Force, and various troop contributing nations together to develop and implement complimentary tactical operations, Flintlock 2019 better enables African partners to conduct real world missions structured around a coherent campaign plan. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 (SW/AW) Evan Parker / released)

Unless deep-rooted socioeconomic and security issues are addressed, Africa’s development miracle risks being derailed. Nowhere is this truer than with the G5 countries in the Sahel.

Backgrounder: Nigeria’s Energy Security Dilemma

cc Fakoyede Seun, modified, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:In_Nigeria,_there_is_much_oil_and_with_it,_even_more_hunger.jpg

Security and development deficiencies lurk behind many of the factors that are keeping Nigeria’s energy sector from realizing its considerable economic promise.

Peace in a Pandemic: Containing Africa’s Conflicts

BurkinaFasoFlintlock2019, Members of the Burkinabe honor guard stand ready to be called to attention before the opening ceremony of Flintlock 2019, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Flintlock is an annual African-led, integrated military and law enforcement exercise that has strengthened key partner nation forces throughout North and West Africa as well as western special operations forces since 2005. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 (SW/AW) Evan Parker / released), https://www.africom.mil/media-room/article/31543/more-than-30-nations-kick-off-flintlock-2019-in-burkina-faso-mauritania

COVID-19 is upending local security dynamics in some of the most vulnerable parts of Africa.

Oil’s Armageddon: Implications for African Exporters

TankerSunset, cc rabiem22, modified, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Africa’s largest oil exporters are not in a position to weather the massive price disruptions wrought by COVID-19 and Saudi-Russian acrimony.

Mozambique in 2019: Democracy in Distress

FrelimoPosters, cc Flickr Andrew Moore, modified, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

The peace process involving Mozambique’s rival political factions is at risk of breaking down, with development of its substantial energy resources hanging in the balance.

New Allegations Risk Undermining Senegal’s Fight against Corruption

SallSenegal, cc Flickr MONUSCO Photos, modified, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Alleged improprieties unearthed by the BBC might be a case of doing more harm than good.

Angola Turns to IMF for Financial Help

AngolaEU, cc Flickr UNCTAD, modified, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Africa’s second-biggest oil exporter is running out of money.

Food Insecurity a Boon for Boko Haram in Nigeria

cc VOA, modified, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nigerian_Army_Boko_Haram_demonstration.jpg

Boko Haram is taking advantage of the poverty and food insecurity in northern Nigeria to stage a comeback.

Niger Delta: A Region Cursed by Oil Politics

Nigeria Oil abstract, modified, Generated by Google Gemini on August 5, 2025.

A failure to tackle the root causes of underdevelopment could spark a new wave of violence in the Niger Delta.

2015 Oil Market Meltdown: Producing States Squeezed

Generated by Google Gemini on August 4, 2025.

What was once a supply-side phenomenon is now being aggravated by falling global demand, meaning lower oil prices and even more pain for long-suffering oil producers.

For Morocco, Security, Rule of Law, and Energy Are Three Eggs in a Same Basket

Generated by Google Gemini on August 6, 2025.

Oil discoveries can be a curse in countries with sectarian fault lines and a weak rule of law.

Libya Oil Report (05-26-2015)

Generated by Google Gemini on August 5, 2025.

A look at which fields are still pumping oil in Africa’s energy powerhouse turned failed state.

Nigeria Economy in 2015: Toward Total Shutdown

cc US Institute of Peace, modified, The President of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, gave remarks and answered questions at the U.S. Institute of Peace on July 22, during his first visit to the United States since taking office. https://www.flickr.com/photos/usipeace/19965148362

Nigeria is in the grips of a massive fuel shortage that has ground its national economy to a halt.

Nigeria in 2015: Dynamics of an Oil Crisis

cc World Economic Forum, modified, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Goodluck_Jonathan_World_Economic_Forum_2013_%282%29_%28cropped%29.jpg

With its oil-reliant economy and high break-even price, Nigeria is one country that has been hit particularly hard by recent OPEC policy.

Cheap Oil and Political Risk: Nigeria

Nigeria Oil abstract, modified, Generated by Google Gemini on August 5, 2025.

In this series, Geopoliticalmonitor.com analyzes political fallout from the global plunge in oil prices. Part four focuses on Nigeria.

Italy’s Eni & Other Oil Producers Try to Ride Out Libya Chaos

Libya oil rig, Generated by Google Gemini on August 5, 2025.

Production disruptions, the spread of Islamic State, and two governments hanging on by a fiscal thread – Libya is descending into anarchy. But that hasn't stopped Italy’s Eni and other producers from keeping the oil flowing.

Boko Haram Carving the Next ‘Islamic State’ out of Nigeria

Generated by Google Gemini on August 4, 2025.

Boko Haram is fighting to carve its own Caliphate out of the Nigerian state, and early indications suggest they might just accomplish their goal.

Libya in 2014: Back on the Road to Dictatorship

Generated by Google Gemini on July 30, 2025.

The most recent outbreak of fighting may just sound the death knell for the post-Qadhafi order in Libya. Now the question becomes: who will be the one to defeat the militias and seize power by force?

The ‘Somalization’ of Post-Qadhafi Libya

Generated by Google Gemini on July 30, 2025.

The Libyan situation is ever more reminiscent of Somalia and certainly of the former Yugoslavia. The end of a dictatorship always carries within it the seeds of territorial disintegration, especially in cases where tyranny is used to keep a country of different tribal, ethnic and interest groups together.

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