Since 2020, APO Group has worked alongside the Jack Ma Foundation to execute a holistic campaign for the ABH Prize across the continent
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 19, 2022/ — APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is delighted to announce that it has won a prestigious PRovoke Africa SABRE Award for the public relations campaign around the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition.
The ABH program (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) is designed to promote entrepreneurship in Africa and empower the next generation of African business leaders. APO Group’s involvement in a dedicated Public Relations campaign in 2021 led to one of the most successful editions of the ABH Prize Competition ever, and helped raise the profile of African entrepreneurship throughout the continent and beyond.
The PRovoke Africa SABRE Awards are Africa’s leading Public Relations Awards. Held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 2022 SABRE Awards attracted more than 2000 entries from Public Relations agencies all over the continent. A jury of industry leaders chaired by PRovoke Media founder Paul Holmes, was looking for campaigns that were brave, authentic, shareable, and caught the public imagination – and ABH ticked all of those boxes.
The ABH Prize is one of the Jack Ma Foundation’s key philanthropic initiatives, with a 10-year commitment to supporting the development of a new entrepreneurial ecosystem. Each year, ten finalists are selected from tens of thousands of applications to win a share of a $1.5 million prize pool in grant money.
Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation, launched the ABH Prize after he made his first trip to Africa in 2017 and was inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.
Since 2020, APO Group has worked alongside the Jack Ma Foundation to execute a holistic campaign for the ABH Prize across the continent, while APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, has been a semi-final judge for the last two editions of the competition.
The work done by APO Group and the ABH team was voted the overall winner in the Northern Africa category of the 2022 SABRE Awards. The ABH Prize is a truly Pan-African campaign, reaching applicants all over the continent. APO Group’s team worked to provide a strategic media relations plan for ABH that would generate maximum media coverage and drive applications across Africa.
Despite the vast geographical challenges from the pandemic, the campaign was a huge success. Some of the highlights included: three large media events attended by hundreds of African media; an astounding 94 media interviews secured for ABH spokespeople, judges and entrepreneurs; and a social media promotion campaign that reached more than 29 million people.
This added up to one of the most successful ABH competitions ever with more than 20,000 quality applications, more female entrepreneurs than ever before, and every single African country represented.
“Africa’s Business Heroes is an ambitious project, and to cover all 54 African countries requires extensive Public Relations knowledge and expertise,” said Jason Pau, Executive Director of International, Jack Ma Foundation. “Working with APO Group has always been delightful and effective, and we are thrilled that the campaign as well as the African entrepreneur community it represents, has received the recognition it deserved with this fantastic SABRE award.”
“The Jack Ma Foundation shares our vision for the future of business in Africa, and together our teams have worked tirelessly on raising the profile of the ABH Prize,” said APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard. “This campaign really caught the public imagination, and has shown the world the vast potential Africa has as a hub for the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation
LONDON, United Kingdom, February 5, 2026/APO Group/ –As African economies assert greater agency in a rapidly evolving global order, Invest Africa (www.InvestAfrica.com) is delighted to announce The Africa Debate 2026, its flagship investment forum, taking place at the historic Guildhall in London on 3 June 2026.
Now in its 12th year, The Africa Debate has established itself as London’s premier platform for African investment dialogue since launching in 2014, convening over 800 global decision-makers annually to shape the future of trade, finance, investment, and development across the continent.
Under the theme “Redefining Partnership: Navigating a World in Transition”, this year’s forum will focus on Africa’s response to global economic realignment with greater agency, ambition and economic sovereignty.
The Africa Debate puts Africa’s priorities at the centre of the conversation, moving beyond traditional narratives to focus on ownership, resilience and long-term value creation.
“Volatility is not new to Africa. What is changing is the opportunity to respond with greater agency and ambition,” says Invest Africa CEO Chantelé Carrington.
“This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy — so African economies can take greater ownership of their growth. Success will be defined by how effectively we turn disruption into leverage and partnership into shared value.”
The Africa Debate 2026 will provide a platform for this essential, era-defining discussion, convening leaders to explore how Africa and its partners can build more balanced, resilient and sustainable models of cooperation.
Key challenges driving the debate
Core focus areas for this year’s edition of The Africa Debate include:
This year’s edition of The Africa Debate asks how we strengthen economic sovereignty — from access to capital and investment to financial and industrial policy
Global Realignment & New Partnerships
How shifting geopolitical and economic power structures are reshaping Africa’s global partnerships, trade dynamics and investment landscape.
Financing Africa’s Future
The growing need to reform the global financial architecture, new approaches to development finance, as well as the strengthening of market access and financial resilience of African economies in a changing global system.
Strategic Value Chains
Moving beyond primary exports to build local value chains in critical minerals for the green economy. Also addressing Africa’s energy access gap and mobilising investment in renewable and transitional energy systems.
Digital Transformation & Technology
Unlocking growth in fintech, AI and digital infrastructure to drive productivity, inclusion, and the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation.
The Africa Debate 2026 offers a unique platform for high-level dialogue, deal-making, and strategic engagement. Attendees will gain actionable insights from leading policymakers, investors and business leaders shaping Africa’s economic future, while building strategic partnerships that define the continent’s next growth phase.
After a thorough internal and external investigation, along with a disciplinary hearing chaired by Sbongiseni Dube, CLG (https://CLGglobal.com) has made the decision to terminate Zion Adeoye due to serious personal and professional conduct violations. This process adhered to the Code of Good Practice of the Labour Relations Act, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with South African law.
Mr. Adeoye has been held accountable for several serious offenses, including:
Making malicious and defamatory statements against colleagues
Extortion
Intimidation
Fraud
Misuse of company funds
Theft and misappropriation of funds
Breach of fiduciary duty
Mismanagement
His actions are in direct contradiction to our firm’s core values. We do not approve of attorneys spending time in a Gentleman’s Club. CLG deeply regrets the impact this situation has had on our colleagues and continues to provide full support to those affected.
We want to express our gratitude to those who spoke up and to reassure everyone at the firm of our unwavering commitment to maintaining a respectful workplace. Misconduct of any kind is unacceptable and will be addressed decisively.
We recognize the seriousness of this matter and have referred it to the appropriate law enforcement, regulatory, and legal authorities in Nigeria, Mauritius, and South Africa. We kindly ask that the privacy of the third party involved be respected.
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Strengthens Partnership with the Republic of Djibouti through US$35 Million Financing Facility
This facility forms part of the US$600 million, three-year Framework Agreement signed in May 2023 between ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti, reflecting the strong and growing partnership between both parties
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, February 5, 2026/APO Group/ –The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (https://www.ITFC-IDB.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, has signed a US$35 million sovereign financing facility with the Republic of Djibouti to support the development of the country’s bunkering services sector and strengthen its position as a strategic regional maritime and trade hub.
The facility was signed at the ITFC Headquarters in Jeddah by Eng. Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, Chief Executive Officer of ITFC, and H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Industry of the Republic of Djibouti.
The financing facility is expected to contribute to Djibouti’s economic growth and revenue diversification by reinforcing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the Djibouti Port as a “one-stop port” offering comprehensive vessel-related services. With Red Sea Bunkering (RSB) as the Executing Agency, the facility will support the procurement of refined petroleum products, thus boosting RSB’s bunkering operations, enhancing revenue diversification, and consolidating Djibouti’s role as a key logistics and trading hub in the Horn of Africa and the wider region.
We look forward to deepening this partnership, creating new opportunities, and leveraging collaborative programs to advance key sectors and drive sustainable economic growth
Commenting on the signing, Eng. Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, CEO of ITFC, stated:
“This financing reflects ITFC’s continued commitment to supporting Djibouti’s strategic development priorities, particularly in strengthening energy security, port competitiveness, and trade facilitation. We are proud to deepen our partnership with the Republic of Djibouti and contribute to sustainable economic growth and regional integration.”
H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Industry of the Republic of Djibouti, commented: “Today’s signing marks an important milestone in the development of Djibouti’s bunkering services and reflects our strong and valued partnership with ITFC, particularly in the oil and gas sector. This collaboration supports our ambition to position Djibouti as a regional hub for integrated maritime and logistics services. We look forward to deepening this partnership, creating new opportunities, and leveraging collaborative programs to advance key sectors and drive sustainable economic growth.”
This facility forms part of the US$600 million, three-year Framework Agreement signed in May 2023 between ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti, reflecting the strong and growing partnership between both parties.
Since its inception in 2008, ITFC and the Republic of Djibouti have maintained a strong partnership, with a total of US$1.8 billion approved primarily supporting the country’s energy sector and trade development objectives.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).
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