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IIHS signs landmark MoU supporting UK’s NHS with high quality Sri Lankan nursing care

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IIHS

The International Institute of Health Science (IIHS), Sri Lanka’s premier and leading healthcare

education institute renowned for producing an eminent and qualified nursing workforce has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHS Improvement East England, to provide qualified nurses from Sri Lanka.

Nurses who have completed the University of Coventry, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Nursing Studies and the Open University of Malaysia, Bachelor of Nursing Science (Hons), courses at IIHS are eligible to apply for this programme to support the NHS in delivering quality health and social care services.

NHS Improvement East England is one of seven regional teams commissioned to ensure improved care for patients and provide leadership and support to the wider NHS. In its role, IIHS will ensure nurses are provided high-quality clinical training, required according to NHS standards, including meeting the vital English language competency standards which are necessary as a pre-requisite for the recruitment of overseas nurses.

IIHS together with NHS Improvement East of England will also provide mental health development for nurses, as both institutes strongly believe in the the physical and mental health well-being of recruited nurses. 

To-date, IIHS has already directed 70 nurses to the NHS, with further plans to provide approximately 500 nurses in 2022. Additionally, IIHS has begun work on a programme to provide professional care assistants to UK. Recruited overseas nurses upon confirmation have the exciting opportunity to bring their family to the UK as well.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, Founder CEO of IIHS said, “We are extremely proud of the status that we have achieved today. It has been a difficult journey from inception as we are part of a regulated industry. Despite many challenges, we began a training school for nursing together with support from the Ministry of Health and industry professionals. We have created demand, created value and even trade unions requested that we train their nursing cadre. Beginning with four students, we have now well over 3000 nursing professionals who have advanced from a diploma to graduate level.”

Dr. Edirisinghe added, “We have been working with NHS and have understood the current needs and standards and within a short time have been able to sign this agreement with NHS East of England. We aim to train Sri Lankan nursing professionals while securing job opportunities for them at NHS UK, while also focusing on mental health nursing development and improving this component in Sri Lanka. By providing training, skills and employment opportunities for nurses overseas we are helping to bring much needed revenue to the country.”

In ensuring qualified students pursue satisfying careers and lucrative employment opportunities, IIHS aims to secure the recruitment of 100,000 health care professionals.

Paul Morris, Director of Nursing, James Paget University Hospital and Senior Responsible Officer for International Recruitment in Norfolk and Waveney, said, “It is a great privilege to be here. We represent a wide community of mental health and social enterprises all come together in recruitment of international nurses. What is really impressive since joining and working together with IIHS is although the NHS and IIHS are separated by thousands of miles, our fundamental values are exactly the same. The high quality education and training are outstanding. I am really privileged to be welcomed by you all and excited to begin the next chapter as we start to see Sri Lanka nurses and unregistered professionals working in our care system.”

Notably, despite most internationally affiliated universities increasing their fees due to the dollar depreciation, IIHS reiterating its commitment to the Sri Lankan education sector offers programmes with a massive 80% reduction in course fee.

IIHS reached a milestone this year with the graduation of 2000 healthcare professionals including 500 nurses in 2022 alone. The IIHS Nursing programme has thus far successfully supported and strengthened the Sri Lankan healthcare sector, contributing over 1350 nursing graduates entering the healthcare industry both local and overseas. Moreover, IIHS’s partnership with UK’s Coventry University, offering high quality nursing education provides Sri Lankan and international students multiple study or career opportunities in the United Kingdom and beyond.

For more information on IIHS visit https://iihsciences.edu.lk/

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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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