Tony Attah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, will join Dapo Filani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, and sustainability expert Lamé Verre at the Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum (AISF) 2026, scheduled for October 21 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Forum, themed “Energy Security and Africa’s Energy Transition: Defining the Role of Gas,” will bring together industry leaders to examine how natural gas can strengthen Africa’s energy security, support industrial development and attract investment into the continent’s energy sector.
Attah, an energy industry executive with more than 30 years of experience, has held senior leadership positions across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, including as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited and Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo).
At Nigeria LNG, he led the company through a period of expansion, including the Final Investment Decision on Train 7, a major investment aimed at raising Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas production capacity. His Shell career also covered operations, corporate affairs, human resources and commercial management, with postings in Russia and the Netherlands.
A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Ibadan, Attah holds an MBA from the University of Benin. His experience spans gas development, major energy projects, investment and corporate leadership.
At Renaissance, Attah leads an indigenous energy company that acquired Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited in 2025, a deal that changed the ownership of a major player in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas industry.
Filani, an accomplished petroleum engineer with more than 26 years of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, has expertise in exploration and production, gas commercialisation, asset development, corporate strategy and operational management.
Before joining Waltersmith, he held senior leadership positions at First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited, including Deputy General Manager, Corporate Strategy and Business Delivery. His career also includes technical and management roles at Addax Petroleum and Eland Oil & Gas, covering field development, reservoir engineering, technical planning and gas development.
He graduated in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan, holds an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from Robert Gordon University in Scotland and is an alumnus of London Business School. His experience across the technical and commercial dimensions of the energy industry will inform discussions on developing Africa’s gas resources, attracting investment and translating the continent’s energy potential into commercially viable projects.
Verre, co-founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of Lean In Equity & Sustainability (LiNES), will contribute expertise on sustainability, investment and the wider considerations shaping Africa’s energy transition.
The Forum comes as African countries seek to expand energy access, develop domestic industries and attract investment in critical infrastructure while responding to global energy-transition priorities.
Natural gas remains an important consideration in this debate, particularly for economies seeking to expand electricity generation, strengthen industrial production and improve access to reliable and affordable energy. Realising gas’s potential, however, will require substantial investment in infrastructure, stronger technical capabilities and commercially viable projects.
These challenges will form part of the discussions at AISF 2026, which will explore practical approaches to financing energy infrastructure, strengthening indigenous technical capacity and creating the conditions for sustainable investment. The Forum will also examine how African countries can develop energy strategies that reflect their economic circumstances, resource endowments and longer-term energy-transition objectives.
Supported by Waltersmith and Sahara Group, AISF 2026 will take place at Capital Club, Lagos, with the panel discussion scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Organised by Africa Interviews, the Forum is strictly by invitation.
