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Wits Business School Signs Agreement with the African Energy Chamber to Advance Growth in the Energy Sector

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Wits Business School

The two parties will also collaborate on energy research projects as well as on conferencing and speaking engagements

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 6, 2022/APO Group/ — 

Wits Business School’s African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC) has signed a three-year agreement with the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org/) with the aim of advancing the growth and development of the energy sector in Africa, as well as championing access to power for all Africans in a bid to make energy poverty a thing of the past by 2030.

The agreement will, among others, see the start of an internship/fellowship programme for students of Wits Business School who wish to advance their careers in the energy sector.  The two parties will also collaborate on energy research projects as well as on conferencing and speaking engagements.

“We are immensely excited to have this opportunity to work alongside the AEC. This is a true meeting of minds because we share a vision which is to build industry knowledge, capacity and skills in African energy in order for the industry to reach its full potential,” said Professor Lwazi Ngubevana, Director of the AELC.

The AELC was founded in 2017 and is the first centre of its kind in Africa to offer postgraduate programmes specialising in Energy Leadership. It has also established itself as a hub of new research and a platform for solutions-oriented discussion among various stakeholders in the sector.

We are immensely excited to have this opportunity to work alongside the AEC

The AEC is a non-profit organisation that advocates for an end to energy poverty in Africa by 2030 through increased investment into energy across the entire continent and the entire energy value chain. In order to achieve this, the AEC works with organisations, local companies, governments, and global players to fostering the growth of the African energy sector that will thrive in free markets and provide job opportunities for communities.  Its focus is on investment outreach, industry knowledge, training and capacity building, and networking.

Senior Vice President of the AEC, Mr Verner Ayukegba, said: “As the voice of energy in Africa, the Chamber collaborates with key industry stakeholders across the continent in order to drive the industry forward. Critical to our mandate is to build capacity across Africa’s energy sector through training, research and knowledge-sharing.  Our partnership agreement with Wits, one of Africa’s most prestigious universities, will go a long way to ensuring the optimal growth of the industry through much-needed research and skills development.”

He further noted that over 600 million Africans have no access to power and 900 million have no access to clean cooking fuels, most of whom are women and children. “It is imperative that we focus on increasing access to power in Africa to ensure that many more citizens of this continent are able to benefit from improved health care delivery, improved employment opportunities, adequate nutrition and much more, all of which are dependent on power being available in reliable and affordable quantities.”

For Professor Maurice Radebe, Head and Director of WBS and former energy executive, the partnership between the AELC and AEC couldn’t have come at a better time.

“The future of our continent rests, to a large extent, on how we manage the energy sector. We are on a strong growth trajectory in Africa, but this growth has to be carefully managed. Joining forces with the African Energy Chamber in developing leadership skills and collaborating on research is a significant step towards solving our energy crisis and ultimately eliminating the scourge of energy poverty in Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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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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