CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 2, 2026/APO Group/ –Maixent Raoul Ominga, Director General of Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), has been named the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026. The honor recognizes more than two decades of service to Congo’s national oil company and a leadership career that has helped transform SNPC into a stronger, more diversified and increasingly influential energy company.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest distinction presented during the African Energy Awards, held annually as part of AEW. The non-voting category recognizes individuals whose careers have left a lasting mark on Africa’s energy industry through sustained leadership, institutional development, investment promotion and contributions to regional cooperation.

Few leaders know SNPC as intimately as Ominga. Joining the company in 2001 in the finance and accounting department, he steadily rose through the ranks before being appointed Director General in 2018. Reappointed in 2022 and again in 2025 following the adoption of SNPC’s revised corporate statutes, his continued tenure reflects sustained confidence in a leadership style centered on long-term institutional growth, operational discipline and continuity.

Under Ominga’s leadership, SNPC has evolved from a traditional national oil company into a broader energy player with an expanding upstream portfolio and growing regional profile. The company continues to hold interests in many of the Republic of Congo’s largest producing assets while participating in new discoveries that have reinforced the country’s long-term exploration potential.

A defining feature of Ominga’s tenure has been a strategic shift toward long-term value creation through gas monetization. Under his direction, SNPC has played a central role in supporting the Congo LNG project, helping position the Republic of Congo among Africa’s emerging LNG exporters and accelerating the country’s transition toward large-scale gas development.

Institutional transformation has been equally central to his leadership. Ominga has overseen organizational restructuring, strengthened corporate governance and placed greater emphasis on operational performance, while steering SNPC toward increased use of domestic capital markets to reduce reliance on international lenders and strengthen local financial capacity. He has also prioritized workforce development, greater gender inclusion in leadership and the development of internal capabilities supporting gas and new energy initiatives.

His influence has extended well beyond SNPC. A longstanding advocate for stronger collaboration among Africa’s national oil companies, Ominga has consistently promoted regional partnerships, African financing solutions and energy sovereignty as essential to unlocking the continent’s long-term investment potential. This vision has helped elevate both SNPC’s regional profile and the Republic of Congo’s role in Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

Ominga’s leadership has also been recognized beyond the energy sector. In 2026, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Ligue universelle du bien public, recognizing his leadership, commitment to the public good and contributions to economic and social development. The distinction reflects a leadership philosophy that extends beyond commercial performance, emphasizing institution-building, human capital development and the role of energy in supporting national progress.

“Maixent Raoul Ominga represents the kind of steady, visionary leadership that has helped transform SNPC into a more resilient and forward-looking national oil company,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “His commitment to building local capacity, strengthening governance and positioning Congo’s energy sector for the future makes him a deserving recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. We congratulate him on this well-earned recognition.”

LONDON, United Kingdom, July 2, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has successfully raised US$500 million through a 5-year Reg S Only senior unsecured Eurobond, achieving the tightest pricing ever secured by the Corporation on a 5-year US dollar benchmark transaction. The issuance reached a new segment of institutional investors, with central banks, including an African one, participating in an AFC bond for the first time. This milestone speaks to AFC’s growing appeal among global reserve managers seeking high-quality investment-grade assets with strong developmental impact.

 

The notes were issued at a coupon of 5.375%, representing AFC’s narrowest spread over US Treasuries for a benchmark 5-year issuance and a significant improvement over the Corporation’s previous Eurobond transaction completed in 2024. The landmark outcome reflects AFC’s strong credit fundamentals, disciplined financial management, and growing recognition among global investors as a premier investment-grade issuer focused on Africa’s infrastructure and industrial development.

The issuance attracted strong demand from high-quality institutional investors across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, the United States and the Middle East. The order book closed approximately two times oversubscribed, underscoring sustained investor confidence in AFC’s investment-grade credit profile. The notes are rated A by S&P Global Ratings and A3 by Moody’s Ratings, in line with AFC’s long-term issuer ratings.

Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC said, “This transaction reflects the strong confidence global investors continue to place in AFC, our strategy, and our role in advancing Africa’s economic transformation. Achieving our tightest-ever pricing on a US dollar benchmark issuance demonstrates the strength of our credit profile, the consistency of our financial performance, and the trust we have built with investors over time. As we continue to scale our impact across the continent, access to efficient and diversified sources of capital remains critical to delivering the infrastructure and industrial assets that drive long-term growth and competitiveness.”

Banji Fehintola, Executive Board Member and Head of Financial Services at AFC, said, “The success of this transaction underscores AFC’s ability to consistently access international capital markets on increasingly competitive terms, even amid a dynamic global environment. The participation of an African central bank for the first time further diversifies our funding base and advances AFC’s strategy of mobilizing African institutional capital to finance the continent’s development. The exceptional quality and geographic diversity of investor participation, together with record-tight pricing, reflect strong market confidence in AFC’s disciplined funding strategy, prudent balance sheet management and proven track record of delivering transformative infrastructure across Africa.”

Issued under AFC’s US$5 billion Global Medium-Term Note Programme, the proceeds will support the Corporation’s general funding requirements and continue to strengthen its capacity to finance critical infrastructure and industrial projects across Africa. The transaction was led by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Mizuho International plc, MUFG Securities EMEA plc, Standard Chartered Bank and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited as Joint Lead Managers.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 2, 2026/APO Group/ —

• ICD, acting as Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, has structured and closed a USD 60 million Shariah-compliant Syndicated Financing Facility for Joint Stock Company “Asakabank” (“Asakabank”) of Uzbekistan, with an accordion feature to increase the facility size.
• The facility is structured in multiple tranches with different tenors, providing Asakabank with flexible, long-term access to Islamic financing.
• Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P. the Kuwaiti financial institution, participated as Joint-Lead Arranger. The transaction was further supported by the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (“ICIEC”) through the provision of credit enhancement for participant (s).

 

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (“ICD”) (www.ICD-PS.org), a multilateral development financial institution and the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, is pleased to announce the successful closure of USD 60 million Shariah-compliant Syndicated Financing Facility for Joint Stock Company “Asakabank” (“Asakabank”), with an accordion feature to increase the facility size. This strategic collaboration is intended partnership between the two institutions aims to support the growth of private sector businesses in Uzbekistan by offering Shariah compliant financing, in addition to the general corporate requirements of Asakabank.

The syndicated financing facility was structured and led by ICD, acting as Mandated Lead Arranger, Bookrunner and Investment Agent. Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P. participated as Joint-Lead Arranger. The transaction was further supported by the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (“ICIEC”) through the provision of credit enhancement for the participant (s). The participation of Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P, as the sole Kuwaiti financial institution in the syndication, demonstrates its continued commitment to innovative Shariah-compliant financing structures and regional private sector development. Its participation highlights the growing appetite among Islamic financial institutions for structured syndication opportunities supported by robust risk mitigation solutions.

The ICD remains committed to developing Shariah compliant financial channels in member countries to promote Islamic finance. This facility demonstrates the strong relationship of ICD, with other leading Islamic Financial Institutions in its ongoing efforts to mobilize resources in support of sustainable development of the private sector across its member countries.

Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Acting CEO of ICD, stated “I am glad to announce this landmark financing facility, which is designed to promote the private sector projects in the Republic of Uzbekistan and to advance financing in full compliance with Shariah principles. This transaction also reflects ICD’s strong focus on mobilizing private sector resources, where for every dollar deployed by ICD, we have successfully mobilized an equivalent dollar from partner institution. Through this initiative, we aim to empower private sector projects, particularly corporates and SMEs, those having meaningful developmental impact on the economy of Uzbekistan.”

Mr. Surat Utkurovich Zakirov, Acting Chairman of the Board of Asakabank also stated “Asakabank is a rapidly growing full-service bank offering a wide range of products and solutions for both retail and corporate customers. With the recent introduction of Islamic banking legislation in Uzbekistan, we consider ICD as a strategic partner in Sharia-compliant financing for private sector and look forward to continuing our cooperation in the future”.