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Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) wins European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Excellence in Practice Silver Award

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AFRACAD

The award recognises AFRACAD’s Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA) programme — a pioneering initiative that has advanced trade finance capabilities and fostered professional excellence

CAIRO, Egypt, October 13, 2025/APO Group/ –The Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) has received the Silver Award in the Professional Development category at the 2025 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Excellence in Practice (EiP) Awards, which celebrate impactful and high-quality learning and development (L&D) partnerships in the executive, professional, talent, and organizational development areas.

Presented in Stockholm, Sweden, early this month, the award recognises AFRACAD’s Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (COTFIA) programme — a pioneering initiative that has advanced trade finance capabilities and fostered professional excellence across the African continent for nearly a decade, implemented by Afreximbank in partnership with FCI and the Onsi Sawiris School of Business of the American University in Cairo (AUC).

COTFIA programme was launched in 2016, initially known as the Certificate of Finance in International Trade (COFIT), under the auspices of Afreximbank’s Factoring Working Group (FWG), chaired by Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of the Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank. Developed in partnership with FCI, the University of Malta, and Quarterback, the initiative aims to build Africa’s trade finance and factoring expertise in line with the Bank’s strategic vision of strengthening Africa’s trade ecosystem.

We are deeply grateful for this award which highlights Afreximbank’s continuing impact on the professional development of trade experts across the continent

Commenting on the award, Stephen Tio Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources at Afreximbank noted: “We are deeply grateful for this award which highlights Afreximbank’s continuing impact on the professional development of trade experts across the continent. Participating in the EFMD Conference was far more than an opportunity to present our case or receive recognition — it was a platform to amplify the vision, mission, and strategic mandates of Afreximbank and AFRACAD before an international audience.”

Dr. Anan Shendy, from Afreximbank’s AFRACAD represented the Bank at the conference, delivering a formal presentation of the Bank’s award-winning case study titled, “Transcending Borders: A Pan-African Partnership to Support Trade Professionals.” The presentation was delivered before a distinguished audience and judging panel at the Stockholm School of Economics and was done jointly with representatives from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and FCI.

In 2021, AFRACAD partnered with the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at the AUC, to strengthen the programme’s academic rigour and regional relevance. Since then, AFRACAD has taken on the crucial mandate of managing and continuously enhancing COTFIA, effectively institutionalising and scaling Afreximbank’s capacity-building efforts.

The programme has so far trained more than 150 professionals from across the continent, equipping them with the technical, regulatory, and practical competencies required to strengthen Africa’s trade finance landscape and unlock new opportunities for intra-African and global trade.

With more than 950 member institutions across over 90 countries, EFMD is the world’s largest international network for management development. Over the past 18 years, the Excellence in Practice (EiP) Awards have become a global benchmark for excellence in executive educations showcasing the most effective collaborations between organizations and learning institutions and positioning recipients among the world’s leading innovators in learning and development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Canada–Africa Financing Forum to Convene Investors and Decision-Makers in Cape Town – May 14, 2026

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Ateau Zola

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships

TORONTO, Canada, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –The Canada–Africa Chamber of Business (https://CanadaAfrica.ca) will convene investors, financiers, policymakers, and industry leaders in Cape Town on May 14, 2026 for the Canada–Africa Financing Forum—a high-level platform focused on unlocking capital and accelerating deal flow across African markets.

Registration is open (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships. The program connects leaders from venture capital, private equity, and institutional investors to examine where capital is moving—and where the next opportunities lie—supported by Canadian project partners with proven capacity to deliver on-the-ground.

Delegates will engage directly with finance and investment decision-makers, following the program opening, featuring messages from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in addition to high-level Ministerial representation.

This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation

“This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation,” said Garreth Bloor, President of the Canada–Africa Chamber of Business. “We are convening investors, institutions, and project leaders who are actively shaping transactions across Africa—and connecting them directly with Canadian partners who are ready to work together.”

The Canada–Africa Financing Forum reflects the Chamber’s role as a privately financed, market-led platform advancing Canada-Africa trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.

Why Attend

  • Direct access to active dealmakers and capital allocators
  • Insights into where capital is being deployed and key players delivering major projects
  • Opportunities to build partnerships across Canada and African markets
  • Participation in a curated, high-level environment focused on execution

Secure Your Place

Space is limited and demand is strong.

Apply to secure your place (http://apo-opa.co/4vXb9oz)

Read More and View the Program (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

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ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

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MIR Holding

During the MASA 2026 edition, held from April 11 to 18, 2026, ORUN and 1xBET implemented the We Champion Talent program, an initiative aimed at promoting African talent and advancing the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –As part of the Innovation Village co-organized with MASA at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan from April 14 to 18, ORUN (https://ORUN.Africa) announces the rollout of its partnership with 1xBET to support a creative Africa that is structuring itself, professionalizing, and scaling across the continent.

We aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency

Designed as a space of convergence between heritage, innovation, and knowledge transmission, the Innovation Village features scenography crafted by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses on creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a major institutional highlight on April 17. Its narrative platform is built around three pillars: memory, structure, and transmission. The initiative aims to position cultural and creative industries as an economic driver for the continent.

“The Innovation Village was conceived as an act of construction. By partnering with organizations such as 1xBET, we aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

This vision aligns with ORUN’s broader ambition to produce, structure, and internationalize African creative industries through events, content, and strategic partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ORUN, part of African Currency Network (ACN).

 

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MIR Holding Reaffirms Its Commitment to African Creative Industries Alongside ORUN at Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) 2026

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MIR Holding

More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –On the occasion of MASA 2026, held from April 11 to 18 in Abidjan, MIR Holding (https://MIRHolding.odoo.com) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of African creative industries by partnering with ORUN as part of the Innovation Village, hosted at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan. This presence reflects a clear intention to support the scaling of cultural and creative industries so they can fully contribute to job creation and value generation across the continent.

 

Co-organized by ORUN and MASA, the Innovation Village brought together over several days scenography designed by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses dedicated to creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a key institutional highlight on April 17.

At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains

Built around three pillars — memory, structure, and transmission — the initiative carried a renewed ambition for culture: positioning it as a concrete lever for economic structuring and African projection.

By supporting this initiative, MIR Holding aligns with a broader dynamic aimed at strengthening connections between creation, entrepreneurship, content, youth, and growth ecosystems. More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures. MIR Holding stands among the main partners of the Village, alongside Africa Currency Network and other stakeholders engaged in this vision.

“With ORUN, we are not only seeking to make culture visible. We aim to help provide it with a framework, a reach, and a trajectory. What is at stake here is the continent’s ability to better transform its creative energy into sustainable value, real opportunities, and influence,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

Mouhamed Dieng, President of MIR Holding, added: “Supporting Africa’s creative industries is not about backing a secondary sector. It is about investing in one of the continent’s most powerful spaces for storytelling, youth, innovation, and competitiveness. At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MIR Holding.

 

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