Lagos, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- As Africa’s oil and gas industry accelerates investments in critical infrastructure, gas development, digital systems and industrial automation, a quieter but increasingly urgent challenge is gaining prominence across the sector.
Industry stakeholders are facing growing pressure to safeguard increasingly complex energy assets against physical degradation, operational failures and escalating cyber threats.
From ageing pipelines and corrosion-driven failures to the rising risk of cyberattacks targeting industrial control and operational technology systems, energy operators are under growing pressure to rethink how they design, monitor and manage infrastructure.
Industry stakeholders say the convergence of physical and digital risks has made asset integrity, automation and cybersecurity central to sustaining production efficiency and protecting multi-billion-dollar energy investments across the continent.
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It is against this backdrop that AIAC West Africa 2026 will convene in Lagos, positioning itself as a key regional platform for confronting these evolving risks head-on.
Scheduled for 09–10 June, in Lagos, the conference and exhibition will bring together senior executives from oil and gas companies, engineers, regulators, technology providers and cybersecurity specialists from across Africa and international markets.
The two-day event is expected to serve as a strategic knowledge-sharing forum, focusing on how operators can strengthen resilience in an era defined by rapid digitalisation and heightened operational exposure.
Key discussions will centre on asset integrity management, corrosion prevention strategies, advanced inspection technologies, predictive maintenance systems, industrial automation, digital transformation in upstream and downstream operations, and the growing importance of cybersecurity for operational technology environments.
Organisers say the goal is to bridge the gap between traditional asset management approaches and emerging digital solutions, while equipping industry players with practical tools to reduce downtime, improve safety outcomes and enhance long-term production reliability in Africa’s energy sector.
