Sonangol has signed two agreements with MIT, paving the way for collaborative research and development opportunities
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 20, 2025/APO Group/ --
Angola’s national oil company Sonangol has signed two agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – a private university based in Boston, United States (US) – aimed at strengthening cooperation and knowledge-transfer in the fields of oil, gas and critical minerals. The agreements – dubbed the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (MIT-ILP) and MIT Africa – seek to strengthen US-Africa ties by facilitating greater collaboration and skills development opportunities.

Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – the voice of the African energy sector – commends Angola and Sonangol for forging this strategic alliance with one of the world’s leading innovation institutions. The AEC believes partnerships of this nature are vital to accelerating Africa’s energy transition while equipping the next generation of African professionals with the skills and knowledge required to drive industrial growth, energy security and sustainable resource development.
The agreements were signed by Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins and MIT Executive Vice President Glan Shor during a meeting presided over by Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas Diamantino Azevedo. A core focus of the meeting and the subsequent agreements was to explore opportunities to support Angolan resource development by leveraging global research, innovation and technology. With goals to increase oil production, diversify the industry through innovative gas projects and advance the development of alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen, Angola has committed to working with global partners to transform ideas into solutions. The agreements serve as catalyst for these objectives by laying the foundation for bilateral research and development.
Under MIT-ILP, Sonangol and MIT will work together to develop strategic industries such as energy, mining, engineering, construction and infrastructure. According to Minister Azevedo, this program will enable Sonangol to directly interact with MIT research centers in key areas, thereby accelerating innovation in the oil sector while facilitating a just energy transition. Minister Azevedo shared that visiting MIT showed the Angolan delegation how applied research is closely linked with humanity’s real challenges – notably, clean energy, artificial intelligence, resilient infrastructure and digital transformation. MIT-ILP will support the development of Angolan expertise and innovation.
Meanwhile, MIT Africa features two programs - Global Classroom and Global Teaching Labs - aimed at facilitating knowledge-exchange, staff training, joint research and academic mentoring. Both the Global Classroom program and Global Teaching Labs program allow Angolan educational institutions to tap into US expertise, with the aim of supporting skills development in Angola. Among the Angolan institutions that will directly benefit from this cooperation are the Instituto Superior Politécnico de Tecnologias e Ciências and the Sonangol Research and Development Center. These institutions will be at the forefront of implementing these innovative programs.
“Through these mechanisms, Angola will be able to benefit from innovative teaching methodologies and collaborative experiences that value national talent and promote the internationalization of our higher education,” Minister Azevedo shared. “These agreements are more than protocols: they are commitments with concrete impact in the short, medium and long term, in the fields of advanced training, scientific research, technological development, energy transition, decarbonization and industrial innovation. I believe that Angola's future is built on knowledge, serious partnerships and strategic vision.”
The agreements come as Angola and the US take concrete steps to deepen strategic partnerships within the oil, gas, critical mineral and renewable energy sectors. Meetings held by Minister Azevedo and the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week highlighted areas of cooperation, with the parties committing to working together to achieve a balanced energy transition. Future cooperation will be largely built on the success American companies have had in Angola as well as cooperation in new industries such as critical minerals, renewable energy and infrastructure.
In the oil and gas space, companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron continue to make significant strides towards unlocking greater exploration and production opportunities. ExxonMobil has recently extended its license for Angola’s Block 17 – one of the country’s longest-producing assets – in partnership with TotalEnergies. The company is also seeking play-opening discoveries in the offshore Namibe basin while drilling new wells under the country’s Incremental Production Initiative. Chevron is making in-roads in the natural gas sector with its stakes in the Angola LNG plant and upstream gas projects. In late-2024, the company started production at the Sanha Lean Gas Connection project, which increases feedstock for Angola LNG – supporting exports. Chevron also has stakes in the New Gas Consortium, the operator of Angola’s first non-associated project, coming online in late-2025. Leveraging the expertise of these players and strengthened cooperation in research and development, Angola is well-positioned to realize its industry goals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Somaliland should begin transferring the 90,000 Refugees in our country back to their Land. They are suffering in Somaliland since they are not recognized a legitimate refugees.
It is more humane to return them to join the other 1.5million refugees in camps in Afgooye and outskirts of Moqadishu to share the faith of their other relatives.
Ignoring the problem will never fix it. They need to go home ASAP!
Very true
let the south burn…burn baby
that's exactly what's going happen to you monster.
yeah baby burn. no body cant safe this baboons
BLA BLA BLA you got the talk but not the walk. They staying where the are, in 1988 we gave the I@aqs Refugees food and shelder. Now is payback whether you like it or not.
1.5Million Refugees in and around Moqadishu. The reality is that every day there are 5-12reports of rapes among these refugees in Moqadishu and surrounding, crimes being committed by the Amisom troops, Moqadishu police forces, Kenyan and Ethiopian troops.
90,000 in Somaliland will not be harmed or molested but they are suffering in a different way. They will not be considered as Refugees therefore their stay is more a torture to them… among their torments:
– When they speak they have a Somaliland accept not the Koonfur-fufu accent.
– They do not get education.
– They cannot afford health care.
– They live in camps with Oroma and intermarry.
– The children do not have a Koonfur culture.
These people will some day return to Moqadishu and they will not be able to fit in and their might be associated conflicts due to their indoctrination in Somaliland.
I feel sorry for them and i believe they will be better of in Moqadishu with their people. they will never be citizens in fact Oroma have a better chance of getting a job digging toilets and graves then them.
Fufu accent kkkkkkkkkkkkk. Buuxiye you made my day kkkk. I don’t how you get the right words at the right time. Keep up the good work my dear inadeer. Kkkkk.
No you should ask him. how he know fufu accent this explains a lot no wonder.
Sahra why don't you volunteer to become a Teacher for the 90,000 people from your country?
We are doing more for your people then you care to right?
90.000 of your people are forgotten and it is Somaliland that has to feed them, while you spew vile vomit towards Somaliland on a daily basis?
I never hear you or your dumb people talk about Kenya or Ethiopia who murder your people daily, perhaps we should threat your people like they are treated in Kenya and Ethiopia maybe then you and your people will begin to kiss the ground we walk on?
ARE you Mohamed cheers? if you come clean I WOULD LEAVE.
In 1988, all the northern population suffering was caused by the south. The government bombed the northern cities and the southern population did nothing to stop the killing. What is going on in the south now got nothing to do with Somaliland. Unlike the southern government, we are not the ones causing your suffering.
Innocent people dying is sad period and when its a somali it has a particular sting at least to some it does. Shame on anyone saying burn.
I hope they find peace and leave Somaliland alone while they are at it.
Also I want to remind my fellow and beloved Landers that what folks like Kayse want to do is distract us from our mission to make this country great!
So lets focus extra hard on how we can make this Republic stronger we owe that much to our those who sacrificed so much for this day!
Every time they post a hateful comment, I want a Lander to put a comment with a solution to any problem we face in our nation. Every time they post some rubbish I want a Lander to post a new angle, a new idea of making what we currently have even stronger.
Lets use their hate to our advantage! Lets make it a challenge whoever can come up with the most gets a free $100 ( or whatever) gift card to the shop of their choosing etc….
I aslo Challenge Fa q@ @shawipress that instead of giving our enemies a voice on our media platforms that it once and for all prove its allegiance to Somaliland and its people by holding a online contest to its readers on how to make Somalilander better! Challenge our young and old from home and the diaspora to contribute meaningful ideas and then reward with acknowledgement on your site, perhaps even an interview! I DARE YOU! CAAARRRRR!
Come on again
Well said dear. Unfortunately f/press doesn’t have the etiquette of replying to such important issue which you brought.
Lately Alot of it’s reader have been complaining about same issue and a quite number of them don’t read this online news any more and yet so far they are not either defending their stand or giving any explanation. Solution is for all us to leave in mass. Good bless Somaliland.