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The 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development to Shore Up Japanese-Africa Economic Cooperation

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African Development Bank

Running from 27 to 28 August, TICAD8 will bring together delegates from across the continent, including the African Development Bank Group

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, August 25, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) will play a key role in the eighth edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) taking place in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, this year as Japan—a long-time development partner of Africa—continues to lend its economic weight to the continent’s progress.

Running from 27 to 28 August, TICAD8 will bring together delegates from across the continent, including the African Development Bank Group.

Japan is expected to offer further support to strengthen the development of communication infrastructure on the continent and to help address food security. Through continued cooperation with Japan, the African Development Bank Group continues to promote strong, inclusive, and sustainable growth in Africa.

The event is co-organized by the Japanese government, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank.

Japan and the African Development Bank spearheaded the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa initiative

The African Development Bank Group is co-organizing several official side events during TICAD8, some of which will be virtual. All main TICAD8 events will be in-person gatherings.

African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina will deliver a keynote statement during TICAD8 plenary on Economy. Adesina will also deliver keynote remarks at TICAD8 Business Forum.

Dr. Adesina will meet with senior Japanese government officials, African leaders, and business participants. Discussions will cover partnership opportunities to increase support for Africa’s transformation as the continent builds back better from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Japanese government and the African Development Bank Group enjoy a privileged relationship. Japan is one of the largest contributors to the institution. It recently participated in the 15th replenishment of the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm, and in the African Development Bank’s 7th General Capital Increase.

Japan and the African Development Bank spearheaded the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa initiative. It is the largest and longest-standing bilateral partnership that the African Development Bank Group has with any of its member countries. The four components of this assistance are: accelerated co-financing; non-sovereign loans; the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance, and the Private Sector Investment Finance scheme. These four components support the implementation of the African Development Bank’s private sector development strategy.

The Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa initiative has been successfully implemented over three phases from 2007. Over the years, the African Development Bank Group and Japan—through the Japan International Cooperation Agency—have contributed approximately $5.2 billion to investments in sovereign operations and non-sovereign operations. They have also invested $86.9 million in technical assistance and capacity building. The fifth phase of EPSA is being negotiated and will be announced during TICAD8.

The African Development Bank Group promotes development agendas aligned with the Japanese government to facilitate food security, climate change, health, digitalization and debt management across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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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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PAPSS

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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