In a development that signals the growing regional ambition of African energy firms, Nigeria’s indigenous oil company, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P), has sealed a strategic partnership with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) to explore and potentially develop the Mnazi Bay North Block—a gas-rich acreage in southern Tanzania.
The agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Dodoma, marks Tanzania’s latest push to tap into its vast untapped hydrocarbon potential. It also reflects a broader continental shift where African companies are taking leading roles in shaping the continent’s energy future—fostering cross-border investments, enhancing local value creation, and redefining south-south cooperation.
The Mnazi Bay North Block, identified as a strategic priority by the Tanzanian government, sits at the heart of a region with significant gas prospects. The MoU mandates FIRST E&P to fully fund the technical assessment phase—demonstrating the company’s confidence in Tanzania’s upstream potential and underlining its long-term commitment to energy development beyond Nigeria.
With current production levels of about 57,000 barrels of oil per day in Nigeria, FIRST E&P has steadily grown into one of West Africa’s most dynamic indigenous energy companies. Its expansion into East Africa represents a growing trend of intra-African investment and collaboration in the energy sector, historically dominated by foreign multinationals.
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Speaking during the signing ceremony, FIRST E&P’s Managing Director, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, emphasized that the agreement goes beyond resource extraction. “This partnership is not just about hydrocarbons. It’s about forging long-term relationships rooted in trust, development, and shared prosperity,” he said.
He also highlighted Tanzania’s unique geographic advantage as a natural gateway for regional gas distribution, which could support cross-border trade, economic integration, and energy security across East and Southern Africa. With rising demand for clean energy alternatives and increased pressure to reduce reliance on biomass, Tanzania’s domestic gas resources could offer a scalable and less carbon-intensive solution.
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For Tanzania, the deal also reflects the implementation of the 2015 Petroleum Act, which empowers TPDC to jointly develop petroleum assets in collaboration with local and international partners. Officials hailed the agreement as the first of its kind under this legislative framework. “This is a milestone moment for Tanzania’s upstream sector,” said Godluck Shirima, Commissioner for Petroleum and Gas at the Ministry of Energy.
TPDC Managing Director, Mussa Makame, echoed this sentiment, noting that the partnership with FIRST E&P demonstrates a welcome shift in African energy development—where homegrown firms are leading the charge. He stressed the importance of gas in replacing traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal, especially in a continent where nearly 900 million people still lack access to clean cooking solutions.
Indeed, Tanzania’s domestic energy goals are increasingly being aligned with sustainability, health, and poverty-reduction objectives. By attracting credible African investors, the country is not only building technical capacity but also laying the groundwork for a more inclusive energy transition.
FIRST E&P’s move into Tanzania follows similar expansions by other Nigerian firms into markets like Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. This pan-African momentum signals a maturing of the continent’s energy landscape—one where capital, knowledge, and innovation increasingly circulate within Africa’s borders.
As the continent eyes a just energy transition, partnerships like this between Nigeria and Tanzania will be critical—not only in unlocking natural gas for power, industry, and clean cooking, but also in demonstrating that African-led solutions can drive the next phase of energy transformation across the region.
