Two Nigerian ministers, as well as officials of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), will participate in discussions at the Powering Africa Summit 2026 scheduled to take place from 19 to 20 March in Washington, D.C., United States. The summit, which brings together African energy policymakers, regulators, investors and development partners, will focus on strengthening the United States–Africa energy partnership and expanding investment in the continent’s power sector. “This summit is a high-level dialogue and an annual celebration of the US-Africa energy partnership. It brings together U.S. Government stakeholders, institutional investors, private financiers, service and technology providers, and international private sector stakeholders from North America with Ministers of Energy, Finance and Mineral Resources, governments, Heads of Utilities, Transmission and Distribution companies, and Regulators from Africa. “PAS 2025 explored how US foreign policy would change under the new administration, with the lens very much being around US stakeholders taking a more accountable and pragmatic approach to investment and partnerships globally. At PAS 2026, we are looking forward to deep diving into the past year and understanding whether expectations met reality, and the impact for banks, investors and stakeholders more broadly across the continent,” the organisers said in an agenda shared with PREMIUM TIMES. The two Nigerian ministers who will be on different panels are the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo. The Lagos delegation includes the CEO & Executive Member of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), Temitope George; the Chairman of LASERC, Akinwunmi Ogunbiyi and Executive Member, Licensing & Regulatory Standards, LASERC, Olakunle Falola. The Lagos officials are expected to participate in a closed-door regulators’ roundtable involving energy regulators from several African countries. The session will examine regulatory transparency, governance frameworks, and strategies to strengthen power sector investment across the continent. Lagos electricity market session The summit will also feature a session focused on investment opportunities in Lagos’ electricity market. The panel titled “Investing in Africa’s Largest Subnational Energy Market: The Lagos Opportunity,” will examine prospects for private investment in power generation, transmission expansion and distribution reforms within Lagos. The session will be moderated by Mr George, while speakers include Commissioner for Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Sabur Akanbi, as well as Mr Ogunbiyi and Mr Falola. According to the programme, the discussion will explore bankable opportunities across gas-to-power, embedded and renewable generation, transmission expansion and regulatory innovations aimed at attracting private capital into Lagos’ electricity market. Dele Alake to speak The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Alake, will speak during a panel on “Critical Minerals in Africa: Meeting Global Demand.” The discussion will examine how African countries can increase mineral production to meet rising global demand and how partnerships with the United States can strengthen supply chains for critical minerals needed for energy transition technologies. In another session focusing on energy security and gas development, Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, will participate in a discussion on how gas strategies between the United States and Africa can expand bilateral trade and support industrialisation. ALSO READ: Oando joins global energy contemporaries at African Energy Week 2024 The programme also lists the acting managing director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading company, Johnson Akinnawo, as a speaker in a panel examining financing and guarantees needed to deepen energy investment across the continent. The summit, organised by EnergyNet, brings together government officials, regulators, investors and private sector leaders to strengthen cooperation between the United States and African countries in developing energy infrastructure and expanding electricity access across the continent. The 2026 edition will focus on the theme, Powering the US-Africa Partnership: Energy Infrastructure, Critical Minerals and Investment Strategies.