Nigeria’s FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P) has entered into a strategic agreement with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) to assess and potentially develop the Mnazi Bay North Block, a gas-rich area in southern Tanzania.
The agreement, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Dodoma, Tanzania, is a major step forward in Tanzania’s bid to harness its vast hydrocarbon reserves and improve energy access across the region.
The event, held at TPDC’s headquarters, brought together senior government officials, industry leaders, and other stakeholders.
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At the heart of this collaboration is a shared vision to unlock the country’s gas potential in a sustainable and commercially viable manner. FIRST E&P will fully fund the technical assessment phase, a move that underlines the company’s confidence in the block’s prospects and its long-term interest in Tanzania’s upstream sector.
Having made notable progress in Nigeria, where it produces around 57,000 barrels of oil per day in partnership with NNPC Limited, the oil firm is now taking its expertise beyond its home base. The firm’s Managing Director, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, said the venture aligns with its strategic ambitions to expand across the continent, leveraging experience built on technical excellence, a high-performance workforce, and an entrepreneurial approach.
He noted that Tanzania’s geographic position gives it a natural advantage as a regional energy hub. With the right blend of investments and policy stability, he added, the country could become a linchpin for gas distribution across Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to improve cross-border energy trade and regional security of supply.
“This partnership is not just about hydrocarbons. It’s about forging long-term relationships rooted in trust, development, and shared prosperity,” Adeyemi-Bero said.
From the Tanzanian side, the collaboration is being viewed as a milestone moment. The Commissioner for Petroleum and Gas in the Ministry of Energy, Godluck Shirima, stressed that the MoU is a direct outcome of the 2015 Petroleum Act, which empowers TPDC to engage in joint development of petroleum assets.
He described the Mnazi Bay North Block as a strategic priority, and lauded the cooperation between TPDC, the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), and the Ministry of Energy, noting that the current effort represents the first of its kind under the framework of upstream partnership.
TPDC Managing Director, Mussa Makame, pointed to the broader context of energy access in Africa. With many households still dependent on biomass for cooking and heating, he said the development of domestic gas reserves is critical, not only for energy security but also for environmental and public health.
According to him, it is particularly encouraging to see African-owned firms such as FIRST E&P playing a leading role in transforming Africa’s energy sector from within, fostering local value creation and technical exchange.
FIRST E&P’s move into Tanzania is the latest in a series of steps aimed at deepening its pan-African presence. In Nigeria, the company operates several licences, including PML 53 and 54, under a joint venture with NNPC Ltd. The success of its ventures in Nigeria, including first oil in 2020 and a rapid ramp-up of production, appears to have emboldened its continental outlook.
