2nd Regional JODI Training Workshop for Sub-Saharan African Countries

31 January 2007   |   Johannesburg, South Africa

Minister Buyelwa Patience Sonjica underlined South Africa's support to the International Energy Forum (IEF) and the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI) when inaugurating on 30 January a regional training workshop for oil statisticians from Sub-Saharan African countries organized by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the IEF Secretariat and partner organizations to run in Johannesburg until 2 February.

"Without accurate oil data, we cannot secure our future security of energy supply and we would not be able to attract much needed international investments. The biggest problem remains access to energy in order to meet basic human needs and the Millennium Development Goals", the Minister said. She advocated regional co-operation and cross-border projects to improve access to energy and enhance energy security.

The training workshop is part of the IEF Secretariat's efforts to promote JODI and improve the quality of oil market data. Expert speakers from IEF Secretariat, Eurostat, IEA, OPEC and IMF are addressing 35 officials from South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Ghana and Nigeria. JODI is a concrete outcome of the producer-consumer dialogue. South Africa and more than 90 other countries, accounting for more than 90 % of global oil production and demand are now providing national oil data to JODI. It is co-ordinated by the IEF Secretariat with the active support of APEC, EU, IEA, OLADE, OPEC and the UNSD. 

"Better data and more transparency benefits both industrialized and developing countries in their quest for energy security. Energy-importing and energy-exporting countries have a shared interest in, and shared responsibility for, reducing market volatility and promoting global energy security", the Secretary General of the IEF, Ambassador Arne Walther said in his opening remarks. He underlined the importance of South Africa's voice as spokesman for regional African energy interests and the interests of other developing countries in the IEF's global dialogue for energy security, which gathers Ministers of more than 60 countries. South Africa hosted the 6th IEF Ministerial Meeting in Cape Town in 1998. 

The inaugural session also included remarks by the Executive Secretary of the Africa Petroleum Producers' Association (APPA), Mr. Dave Lafiaji, and the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Norway, Ms Inger Stoll. Norway is co-sponsoring the Training Workshop as part of their "Oil for Development Programme".

Speeches

Previous JODI Training Workshops