Cameroon’s Bolongo Oil Contract, Barrister Akere T. Muna Raises Questions Over Transparency and Signing Process

Cameroon’s recent award of the Bolongo oil and gas exploration block to Octavia Energy has come under scrutiny following concerns raised by Barrister Akere T. Muna over the manner in which the resulting Production Sharing Contract (PSC) was signed.

In a statement dated August 17, 2026, Barrister Akere T. Muna, Lincoln’s Inn, Founder, Transparency International Cameroon, welcomed the conclusion of Cameroon’s latest oil and gas licensing round, noting that the public record does not indicate that the Bolongo award was improperly obtained. However, he questioned several aspects of the August 14, 2026 signing ceremony, including the identity and legal capacity of the parties represented, the absence of senior officials from the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH), and the apparent lack of clarity surrounding the government’s representation.

Muna stressed that his concerns do not constitute an allegation of wrongdoing against Octavia Energy executive Hayel Saeed Anam, but rather a call for greater institutional transparency.

Bolongo Block Awarded to Octavia Energy

The Bolongo exploration block was awarded to Octavia Energy following an international Call for Interest launched by Cameroon’s national hydrocarbons company, SNH, in August 2025.

According to Muna, the licensing process itself appears, based on information publicly available, to have been competitively conducted. He therefore distinguished between the legitimacy of the award and the questions arising from the subsequent signing of the Production Sharing Contract.

The Bolongo project represents a significant development in Cameroon’s efforts to attract investment into its petroleum sector and expand exploration activities.

However, Muna argues that the circumstances surrounding the signing warrant public clarification.

Questions Over the Identity of the Contracting Party

One of the central issues raised concerns the entity that actually signed the contract.

Muna points to Octavia Energy Cameroon SARL as the entity holding the Bolongo licence and therefore subject to the legal obligations arising from the agreement under Cameroonian and OHADA law.

However, he notes that the stamp appearing on the signing communiqué belongs to Octavia Energy Corporation Limited, a London-registered parent company, rather than the Cameroonian SARL.

He also questions the use of the title “PDG” for the representative involved in the signing, arguing that the OHADA legal framework governing commercial companies does not provide for such a title for a SARL, which is ordinarily managed by a Gérant.

For Muna, the issue is therefore not merely administrative terminology. He believes the public deserves clarity about which legal entity entered into the Production Sharing Contract and in what capacity its representative acted.

Absence of SNH Board Members Raises Further Questions

Muna also highlighted the absence of members of the SNH Board of Directors from the signing ceremony.

According to his statement, neither the Board’s chair nor another board member was present at the event.

The absence has prompted questions about the institutional process through which the agreement was executed, particularly given the strategic importance of oil and gas contracts to Cameroon’s national economy.

Muna argues that clarification from SNH would help establish whether the appropriate institutional procedures were followed.

Questions Over SNH Representation

Another concern raised by Muna relates to the representation of SNH’s Director-General, Adolphe Moudiki, during the ceremony.

Although the communiqué was issued in the name of the Director-General, Moudiki was reportedly not physically present at the signing. Instead, Nathalie Moudiki represented him at the ceremony.

Muna contrasts this with a previous SNH precedent.

He recalls that when Adolphe Moudiki was unable to attend the African Petroleum Producers Organization summit in Yaoundé in October 2024, the Minister of Water and Energy Resources represented him.

The difference, according to Muna, raises questions about the authority and institutional capacity in which representatives acted during the Bolongo signing.

Government Representation Also Questioned

Muna further questioned the presence of the Minister of Mines and Geology as the government representative at the ceremony.

He argues that the ministry does not have an established primary role in Cameroon’s oil and gas licensing framework, making its representation at the signing noteworthy.

The issue is particularly significant because petroleum contracts involve substantial national interests, including resource management, revenue generation, environmental protection and intergenerational ownership of natural resources.

Muna therefore calls for greater clarity regarding the institutional roles played by government officials during the signing.

Muna Separates Process Concerns From Octavia Energy’s Leadership

Despite his concerns, Muna explicitly sought to distinguish his institutional criticism from any personal accusation against Hayel Saeed Anam, one of Octavia Energy’s directors.

He stated that available public records identify Anam as a verified director and one of three registered beneficial owners of Octavia Energy Corporation Limited, which was incorporated in London in February 2022.

Muna further noted that, based on the company’s own description of its activities, its established asset base has been concentrated in Yemen, while Cameroon represents its first major venture since its incorporation.

He emphasized that his concern is “with the process, not the man.”

Transparency Concerns Come Amid Wider Scrutiny of Cameroon’s Extractive Sector

The questions surrounding the Bolongo Production Sharing Contract come at a sensitive time for Cameroon’s extractive industries.

Muna referred to recent developments involving Glencore, including admissions concerning Cameroon, as well as unresolved questions surrounding the CSTAR refinery project.

Against this background, he argues that institutional transparency is particularly important when the country enters into major agreements involving natural resources.

Cameroon is a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international framework that promotes greater transparency and accountability in the management of oil, gas and mining resources.

For civil society organisations, journalists and citizens, publication of major petroleum agreements can provide an important mechanism for understanding the financial, legal and environmental obligations attached to natural resource projects.

Call for Publication of the Bolongo Production Sharing Contract

At the heart of Muna’s statement is a straightforward demand: that SNH publish the Bolongo Production Sharing Contract in full.

He argues that disclosure would be consistent with Cameroon’s transparency commitments under the EITI and would allow the public to independently assess the terms of the agreement.

Muna is also calling on SNH to explain publicly the legal capacity in which its representatives and the representatives of Octavia Energy acted during the signing ceremony.

Such clarification, he argues, would help address concerns without necessarily implying that the underlying contract or licensing award was improperly obtained.

Why Transparency Matters

Production Sharing Contracts are central instruments in petroleum governance. They establish the framework under which a state and an oil company cooperate in exploring and potentially producing hydrocarbons.

Because these agreements can affect public revenues, natural resource ownership, environmental obligations and long-term economic interests, transparency in their negotiation and implementation is essential.

The controversy surrounding the Bolongo signing therefore extends beyond the identities of individuals present at the ceremony. It raises broader questions about institutional accountability, legal authority and public access to information concerning Cameroon’s natural resources.

Conclusion

The award of the Bolongo exploration block to Octavia Energy may have followed a competitive licensing process, and the concerns raised by Akere T. Muna do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing.

Nevertheless, the questions surrounding the August 14 signing of the Bolongo Production Sharing Contract deserve clear answers from the relevant authorities.

SNH can help resolve the uncertainty by publishing the contract, clarifying the identity and legal capacity of the contracting parties, and explaining the institutional authority of those who represented the company and government at the ceremony.

For Cameroon, where the management of natural resources carries significant economic and public-interest implications, transparency is not simply a matter of administrative formality. It is an essential component of public accountability.