Rwanda to host the 12th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE’27)

The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) has announced that Rwanda has been selected to host the 12th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE’27), which will take place at the Kigali Convention Centre from 9–11 March 2027.

Held biennially, the East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE) convenes the East African Community (EAC) Partner States alongside a broad spectrum of stakeholders from the energy sector. Since its inception in 2003, the conference has evolved into a premier regional platform for strategic policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, investment promotion, and enhanced cooperation in the petroleum and natural gas industry.

Rwanda’s selection to host EAPCE’27 comes at a time when EAC Partner States are intensifying efforts to harness their abundant petroleum and natural gas resources to stimulate economic transformation, reinforce regional energy security, and improve the livelihoods of their populations.

According to RMB, the East African region is home to more than 330 million people and possesses an estimated 1.43 trillion litres of petroleum reserves, in addition to over 60 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas. These resource estimates continue to expand as exploration activities accelerate across the region.

The conference will be held under the theme:

“From Energy Resources to Prosperity: Advancing Energy Security, Economic Growth, and Resilience to Global Market Dynamics.”

EAPCE’27 is expected to attract an influential gathering of government leaders, policymakers, investors, international petroleum and gas companies, development partners, academics, researchers, innovators, and technology experts from across East Africa and around the world.

The Secretary General of the East African Community, Ambassador Stephen Mbundi, emphasized the conference’s enduring contribution to regional integration and capacity building within the energy sector.

He stated:”This conference will continue to serve as a pivotal platform for fostering dialogue, facilitating knowledge sharing, and cultivating strategic partnerships that advance the East African Community’s sustainable development agenda.”

For Rwanda, hosting EAPCE’27 underscores the country’s growing prominence in the regional energy landscape. Rwanda continues to advance exploration initiatives targeting natural gas resources in Lake Kivu and remains the first country to successfully commercialize methane gas extraction from the lake for electricity generationan achievement that highlights the region’s capacity to sustainably harness its indigenous energy resources.

The Chief Executive Officer of RMB, Alice Uwase, described the event as a landmark opportunity to deepen regional collaboration while showcasing East Africa as a competitive and reliable destination for energy investment.

She remarked:”We are fully prepared to welcome government leaders, investors, innovators, and industry pioneers from around the globe to showcase the immense opportunities within our region and collectively shape a shared vision for energy security and sustainable development.”

Organizers have announced that EAPCE’27 will feature high-level ministerial forums, executive leadership dialogues, technical conferences, expert panel discussions, business-to-business networking sessions, an international exhibition of energy technologies, products and services, investment promotion initiatives, and technical field visits.

The conference will also spotlight investment prospects across the petroleum and natural gas value chain, including exploration, production, infrastructure development, as well as the regulatory and policy frameworks governing the sector throughout East Africa.

As preparations gather momentum, Kigali is poised to become East Africa’s foremost hub for high-level energy discourse in March 2027. Organizers believe the conference will further elevate the region’s profile as an attractive destination for international investment in the petroleum and natural gas industry while strengthening collaboration toward a resilient, secure, and sustainable energy future.