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Orange reveals the winners of the 13th edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM)

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POESAM is at the heart of Orange’s strategy to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem and promote employability

KIGALI, Rwanda, October 18, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Launched in 2011, the award recognizes innovative startup projects using information and communication technologies that have a positive impact on society in Africa and the Middle East. Most of the projects focus on education, healthcare, e-commerce, agriculture or the environment.

POESAM is at the heart of Orange’s strategy to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem and promote employability.

Since starting this program, Orange has rewarded 47 projects and financed the support of 90 entrepreneurs through expert guidance from Orange or its partners.

POESAM 2023 is divided into three major prizes:

  • The International Women’s Prize worth €20,000, is awarded to a startup whose project is led by a woman and that helps to improve living conditions by providing specific solutions to social or environmental problems. This award reflects Orange’s desire to encourage women’s independence and their creativity through entrepreneurship.
  • The International Grand Prize is awarded to three projects that have a social or environmental impact and are based on new technologies. The three projects receive:
  • €25,000 for 1st place
  • €15,000 for 2nd place
  • €10,000 for 3rd place
  • For the third time since POESAM’s creation, the Jury’s Favorite Prize, worth €10,000, was awarded. This year it went to a project that stood out for its originality.

The big winners of the international competition

There were 1,300 applicants from 17 countries, and only 5 of them were awarded prizes at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Africa, held from October 17 to 19, 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda. The names of the winners were revealed on October 18, 2023, at the award ceremony hosted by Elizabeth Tchoungui, Executive Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Orange Group, and Jérôme Hénique, Managing Director, Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA).

The winner of the International Women’s Prize is:

  • Bionic Soul (Tunisia) – Bionic Soul manufactures and markets smart, custom-made, affordable bionic prostheses for amputees.

The winners of the International Grand Prize are:

  • 1st prize: Adinkra Jeunesse (Cameroon) – Adinkra specializes in digitally publishing African children’s books with characters that convey African cultures and stories.
  • 2rd prize: Egrobots (Egypt) – Egrobots offers farmers a digital solution (robots + analytics generated by artificial intelligence) to optimize their business.
  • 3rd prize: Smart WTI (Jordan) – Smart WTI offers advanced water management solutions using IoT/AI technology.  It aims to help companies and local authorities manage their water consumption efficiently, reduce waste, and improve water quality.

The winner of the Jury’s Favorite Prize is:

  • Services for aged (Cameroon) – Services for aged provides health, hygiene and assistance services for elderly people living at home in rural areas.

Under the banner of responsible, high-impact innovation, the 13th edition fulfilled all of its promises by showcasing the increasing role of women in the entrepreneurial landscape of Africa and the Middle East.

The POESAM winners in the 17 countries will receive support at Orange Digital Centers, with the prospect of expanding their business beyond the borders of their respective countries through the network of Orange Digital Centers in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa.

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Ministers among hundreds of energy-sector leaders to attend AOW event

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Sinclair

The event kicks off with an invitation-only ministerial symposium focused on the theme of “Fostering innovation, attracting investment, and promoting sustainable growth in the oil, gas, and energy sectors”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 4, 2024/APO Group/ — 

AOW: Investing in African Energy (https://AOWEnergy.com) – Africa’s leading oil, gas and energy event – has confirmed attendance for more than 80 ministers and senior officials, representing African governments, energy departments and regulators at next month’s event.

These influential stakeholders will be among the more than 1 600 senior delegates and industry leaders who will be attending the event to develop policy, share discoveries, secure investment, and shape Africa’s energy future.

The event kicks off with an invitation-only ministerial symposium focused on the theme of “Fostering innovation, attracting investment, and promoting sustainable growth in the oil, gas, and energy sectors.”

Given the recent major oil-and-gas discoveries across Africa, the energy transition and major geopolitical events, it is clear that the energy sector needs positive intervention

Among the officials and government ministers attending will be energy leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Eswatini, Uganda, CAR, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Gabon, Malawi, Morocco, Zanzibar, Liberia, Senegal, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone.

In addition, the event will feature high-level delegations from numerous national oil companies, as well as multilateral bodies including the African Union, (AU), African Energy Commission (AFREC), African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

AOW will see these energy leaders networking with C-suite executives and decision-makers from more than 760 top energy companies at daily networking events, to discuss insights, forge new relationships, and negotiate major energy deals.

“We are so excited to see the calibre of delegates at this year’s AOW event,” says Chief Executive Officer of Sankofa Events, Paul Sinclair. “Given the recent major oil-and-gas discoveries across Africa, the energy transition and major geopolitical events, it is clear that the energy sector needs positive intervention. The high-powered attendance proves AOW is a key platform to enable this intervention.”

Key themes to be discussed at this year’s AOW will be sustainable upstream development; expanding gas value chains; renewables and new energies; adoption of best-in-class technologies; and access to finance.

AOW: Investing in African Energy will culminate in a special anniversary party at Groot Constantia Vineyard to celebrate 30 years of the AOW event.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AOW: Investing in African Energy.

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Afreximbank approves US$20.8 million for Starlink Global’s cashew factory project in Lagos

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The facility is expected to promote value addition which will guarantee increased earnings to the company while also fostering the creation of about 400 new jobs

CAIRO, Egypt, October 4, 2024/APO Group/ — 

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has approved a US$20.8 million financing facility for Nigeria-based Starlink Global & Ideal Limited to enable the company construct and operate a 30,000-metric tonne per annum cashew processing factory in Lagos.

We are delighted at this partnership which promises to deliver significant impact on employment in Nigeria

According to the facility agreement signed in on July 22, 2024, Afreximbank will provide the funds in two tranches with the first tranche of US$7.48M going toward capital expenditure for the construction of the factory and the second, totalling US$13.25M to be deployed as working capital for the operations of the factory.

The facility is expected to promote value addition which will guarantee increased earnings to the company while also fostering the creation of about 400 new jobs once the factory becomes operational. It is also expected to support about 40 small and medium-sized enterprises.

Commenting on the transaction, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra Africa Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, said that by supporting Starlink Global to establish a modern processing facility, Afreximbank is making it possible for Africa to add value to its agro-commodities, thereby facilitating exports and subsequent inflow of much-needed foreign exchange into the continent.

“We are delighted at this partnership which promises to deliver significant impact on employment in Nigeria. It will contribute to value creation and to the development of the local community while also improving the lots of smallholder farmers and small business suppliers that will work with Starlink across the value chain,” Mrs. Awani added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Sonangol to Lead Decarbonized Oil & Gas (O&G) Development, Says Angolan National Oil Company (NOC) Head

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Sonangol

Participating in an on-stage interview at Angola Oil & Gas 2024, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins emphasized that oil and gas remains a core focus for the national oil company

LUANDA, Angola, October 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Angola’s national oil company Sonangol reiterated its commitment to driving sustainable hydrocarbon development during the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference this week. Speaking during an “In-Conversation with” session, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins stated that the company will not abandon oil and gas, but rather advance decarbonized oil and gas development.

We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas

By investing in upstream oil and gas production while prioritizing low-carbon projects, Sonangol aims to boost national crude output, while diversifying and decarbonizing the industry. The NOC is focusing efforts on non-associated gas development, as well as alternative energy sources such as solar.

“We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas. Gas produced from Angola LNG will be used for the production of fertilizer and we are evaluating the utilization of gas in the south of the country, linking gas with steel industries. We also have a blue carbon project, linked to the reduction of carbon through the plantation of mangroves. We have one area in Luanda and have identified four additional areas for this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

Sonangol has undergone transformation in recent years: following the creation of the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) in 2019, Sonangol transferred its role as national concessionaire and regulator. This transformation has aimed to make Sonangol more competitive and strengthen its capacity as an upstream operator. Concurrently, the government is partially privatizing the NOC, with privatization set to be complete in 2026. This process will enhance financial capacity, allowing Sonangol to drive new upstream projects forward.

“The transformation of Sonangol started several years ago, when we passed the regulatory, concessionaire role to the ANPG. At the time, we transferred almost 600 employees to the ANPG. After that, Sonangol underwent a restructuring program where we created five core business units from 36 different entities – starting with exploration and production. We want to go public, but we want to do it properly. So, we are currently going through all the processes to do this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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