Director General of the Petroleum Commission, Mrs Cany Jobe Taal, has been awarded the Leading Woman in African Energy Award at the Africa Energies Summit 2026, held in London from 11 to 14 May 2026, as The Gambia strengthened its visibility at a major international industry gathering.
The Gambian petroleum sector made a strong showing at the summit, where the country showcased its upstream potential, engaged prospective investors and industry partners, and highlighted its emerging role within the MSGBC Basin.
The Gambian delegation was led by Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines Nani Juwara, and included senior officials such as Permanent Secretary Abdoulie Jallow, Deputy Managing Director of the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation Muhammed Jawara, Director of Petroleum Sheick Omar Bittaye, and Data Officer Siddy Mendy.
The summit brought together more than 800 delegates from international oil companies, governments, regulators, national oil companies, geophysical service providers, legal and advisory firms, and investors across Africa’s energy sector.
Throughout the event, The Gambia maintained a dedicated exhibition booth showcasing its petroleum potential within the MSGBC Basin, highlighting improved data coverage, exploration opportunities and commitment to a transparent investment framework.
The booth attracted interest from explorers, geophysical service providers, data companies and advisory firms, with discussions focusing on exploration opportunities, seismic data improvement, petroleum systems analysis and technical collaboration.
As part of the programme, Permanent Secretary Abdoulie Jallow delivered a country presentation titled “The Gambia: Unlocking Exploration Potential and Positioning for First Investment,” positioning the country as a promising offshore frontier with improving geological confidence and strengthened regulatory oversight.
Engr. Jobe participated in two high-level panel discussions during the summit.
In the first, “West Africa and MSGBC: Country Strategies, Basin Data and Commercial Pathways,” she highlighted The Gambia’s evolving investor proposition, describing it as an emerging opportunity supported by a structured regulatory framework, model petroleum agreement and growing technical database.
In a second panel, “Building Africa’s Stability, Credibility and Trust: The Real Currency of Investment,” she stressed the importance of predictable regulatory frameworks, credible institutions and consistent policy implementation in attracting exploration investment.
On the margins of the summit, the Gambian delegation held meetings with international oil companies, geophysical service providers and technical partners interested in supporting exploration and data enhancement initiatives.
The week concluded with Engr. Jobe being announced as winner of the Leading Woman in African Energy Award at the Big Five Board Awards, the grand finale of the Africa Energies Summit.
The award recognises outstanding female leadership in Africa’s energy sector. She was nominated alongside senior industry figures, including executives from Ghana’s petroleum sector, Shell International BV and Nigeria’s energy advisory institutions.
In her acceptance remarks, Jobe said the recognition reflects the growing role of women in shaping Africa’s energy future across policy, regulation, investment and development.
She dedicated the award to her fellow nominees and to women and girls across the continent, describing it as both an honour and a responsibility.
Following the summit, the delegation also participated in a technical seminar on licensing and contracts, focusing on fiscal regimes, production sharing agreements, investment risks and exploration frameworks across frontier African jurisdictions.
The Gambia’s participation is expected to further strengthen investor confidence in the country’s oil and gas sector and reinforce its positioning as an emerging frontier petroleum destination.