Since establishment of AAPG Africa in 2000, the Region’s leadership teams over the years have shown strong commitment and passion toward the Association achieving its goals for the region.
Their dedicated efforts have resulted in not only an increased awareness of AAPG, but also steady growth of the Region’s membership, from 450 in 1999 to over 3,060 in June 2014.
The Region also has witnessed rapid growth in several of its student programs, including the Imperial Barrel Award competition and student chapters.
This year’s IBA, for example, had participation of teams from Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia and South Africa, with teams showing better performance in the competition over previous years.
Student chapter numbers now stand at 44, including new additions from South Africa and Egypt.
Student membership in the Region continues to climb, as does participation – thanks to the annual Local Student Chapter Leadership Summits, student grants and AAPG’s continued commitment to sponsorship of student programs and conferences.
This year, five of the L. Austin Weeks grants were awarded to students from Egypt, Nigeria and Uganda, and a Grants-in-Aid sponsorship was awarded to a Nigerian postgraduate research student.
The Region also has supported students at several student conferences held across the region, including the African Geosciences Student Conference, AGSC, which took place in Kumasi, Ghana in May 2014.
AAPG Young Professionals also have been providing educational support to students. For example, YPs in Egypt put together annual events – including the IBA simulation and Discover Egypt lecture series – Meet ‘n Greet events have been organized and YPs have successfully taken “The Exciting World of Geology” to several elementary and high schools in Africa in a bid to get young school students interested in a career in the geosciences.
A YP chapter was established in South Africa in September, and we hope to see news about their activities in the near future.
Other AAPG programs, such as the Distinguished Lectures and YP activities in general, have seen increased frequency, and last September AAPG award-winning researcher and past Distinguished Lecturer Henry Posamentier was hosted in in Lagos. This was followed by a joint distinguished lecture with SPE in Tunis in February of this year, and a regional lecture with AAPG Distinguished Lecturer Terry Engelder in Egypt this September.
The Africa Region now has a newly established AAPG chapter in Angola, plus six affiliated societies:
- The Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA).
- The Egyptian Petroleum Exploration Society (EPEX).
- Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
- Ghana Institution of Geoscientists (GhIG).
- Moroccan Association of Petroleum Geologists (MAPG).
- The Earth Science Society of Libya (ESSL).
The Region also has held geoscience conferences, programs and events in Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco.
Immediate past president Gilbert Odior has been recognized and appreciated for a job well done during his two-year term, during which the Africa Region office and AAPG Angola chapter were established, and during whose tenure the Region witnessed increased participation in the Imperial Barrel Award competition and better working relations with NAPE.
AAPG Africa Region’s new leadership team assumed office in July and shall lead the Africa Region through June 2016.
The officers are:
- President – David Blanchard.
- Vice President – ‘Femi Esan.
- Secretary – Antonio Ingles.
- Treasurer – Ajibola Oyebamiji.
The leadership, along with delegates, AAPG committee members and programs coordinators, is poised to continue the Region’s unprecedented progress.
For more information on the Africa Region contact program manager Delia Kuye.