Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Amazon Web Services to headline AWIEF2022
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 17, 2022/APO Group/ —
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) has announced a stellar speaker line-up for its prestigious and benchmarking annual conference and awards taking place on 26 and 27 September on-site in Cairo, Egypt, and virtual.
AWIEF, which is celebrating the 8th anniversary of its award-winning conference, expo and awards, is heading to North Africa for the first time and has partnered with Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation (MOIC) and Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA) for the hosting of this year’s event in Egypt.
More than 60 African and global thought leaders and industry experts across business, international development and government are set to share insights and thought leadership on the conference agenda.
The conference theme this year is, Advancing Africa through gender integration. The two-day event aims to promote and accelerate MSMEs and SMEs growth for Africa’s inclusive economic growth and brings together the African entrepreneurship ecosystem for discussions on entrepreneurship, leadership, technology and innovation, sustainability, intra-African trade, finance and investment, energy and infrastructure, and agriculture and food security.
The 2022 AWIEF Awards and Gala Dinner will take place on Tuesday, 27 September 2022
A cross-section delegates during a plenary session at AWIEF2019 held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa on 29 October 2019.
The powerful and high-level global speaker faculty for AWIEF2022 includes: H. E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt; Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General & CEO for SE4ALL and Co-Chair of UN-Energy; Elena Atanasova Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt; Sherif El Gabaly, Member of Parliament (MP) and Chairman of the African Affairs Committee in the Egyptian Parliament; Hon. Bogolo Kenewendo, Former Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Botswana; Ayoade Alakija, WHO Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator and Co-Chair of the African Union’s African Vaccine Delivery Alliance; Jackie Jones, Director and Chief of Staff, Gender Equality Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dina Saleh, Regional Director, Near East, North Africa, Europe & Central Asia, IFAD; Uzoma Dozie, Founder and CEO, Sparkle Digital Bank, Nigeria; Ali Eissa, Chairman, Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA); Patricia Obozuwa, Vice President, Government Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Africa, The Coca Cola Company; Izabela Milewska, Digital Skills Global Leader, Amazon Web Services (AWS); Dalia Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer, Nahdet Misr Publishing House and Founder of EdVentures; Amany Asfour, President, Africa Business Council; Chinyere Almona, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI); and Marieme Esther Dassanou, Manager, Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
AWIEF2022 Sponsors are Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Amazon Web Services, Africa-Europe Foundation, Nedbank, Visa, Sparkle and AGRA.
AWIEF2022 Partners are Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation, the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (local co-organizers), EdVentures (Edtech Community Partner), APO Group (AWIEF’s Principal Partner and Official Newswire); Africa.com (Media Partner), and Ethiopian Airlines.
The 2022 AWIEF Awards and Gala Dinner will take place on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, with Amazon Web Services as Headline Sponsor while Category Sponsors are Visa (Tech Entrepreneur Award) and Nedbank (Young Entrepreneur Award).
According to Minister Rania Al-Mashat, “The hosting of AWIEF2022 in Egypt reflects Egypt’s keenness and support for empowering women and enhancing their economic participation and important roles on innovation and entrepreneurship to achieve sustainable development. Such a step also reflects the state’s pivotal roles and national efforts on women empowerment to strengthen women’s contribution to the labour markets.”
Irene Ochem, Founder and CEO of AWIEF, says “The theme for this year’s AWIEF event is inspired by the fact that no conversation about empowerment or entrepreneurship can, or should, exclude either women or men. Gender diversity and inclusion is vital for Africa’s economic growth. A lot of progress has been made, but there is still a lot of work to be done, especially in relation to access to finance for women entrepreneurs, access to markets, skills training, and networks. Egypt is at the forefront of the African entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, and we are going to learn and connect with those driving this growing economy and other African economies.”
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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