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Afreximbank reconstitutes its Creative Africa Advisory Group ahead of CANEX Weekend

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Afreximbank

This group oversees and provides guidance for implementing the Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus Programme

CAIRO, Egypt, July 11, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Ahead of the upcoming CANEX Weekend in Algiers, Algeria, from 16 to 19 October, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has announced the reconstitution of the Creative Africa Advisory Group (CAAG). This group oversees and provides guidance for implementing the Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus Programme.

The first meeting of the reconstituted Advisory Group took place at the Waldorf Astoria, Heliopolis, in Cairo on 9 July 2024. Co-chaired by H.E Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development of the African Union Commission, and Senator Mr.Ben Murray-Bruce, Founder of Silverbird Group, Nigeria, the CAAG is tasked with guiding Afreximbank’s strategy to support the growth of creative and cultural industries in Africa and its diaspora. Each member will serve a two-year term.

During the meeting, the CAAG was updated on the overall implementation of the CANEX Programme and particularly on the preparations for the upcoming CANEX Weekend in Algeria. Members were also briefed on the status of the CANEX Africa Digital Platform and the establishment of CANEX Creations Incorporated, the Bank’s intellectual property investment vehicle. Amongst the recommendations shared by CAAG members was to establish a finance subcommittee to ensure optimal disbursement of the Bank’s financing facilities and funding, and continued outreach on our financial products to creatives.

Reconstituting the Creative Africa Advisory Group marks a significant milestone in our journey to elevate Africa’s creative and cultural industries to new heights

Co-Chair H.E Amb. Minata Cessouma-Samate commented: “The Bank has been instrumental in helping the AU’s Culture and Sports Programme deliver initiatives aligned with our long-term development objective – The Africa We Want Agenda 2063, and the Revised AU Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative Industries, 2023. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Creative Africa Advisory Group and galvanizing opportunities between the Bank and the Commission leading to conducive policies and regulatory environment for Africa’s creative and cultural economies.”

Co-chair Senator Ben Murray-Bruce emphasized the crucial role of the Bank in supporting creative ventures through innovation. He stated: “Some of the biggest artists in the world today are Africans and we must be innovative so that channeling money to the continent ceases being an enigma.”

Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, Acting Director, Trade Facilitation & IATF – Intra-African Trade Bank, spoke on behalf of Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development.  He expressed the Bank’s deep appreciation for the contributions of the members of the first cohort of the CAAG.

“Reconstituting the Creative Africa Advisory Group marks a significant milestone in our journey to elevate Africa’s creative and cultural industries to new heights. The contributions of the first CAAG cohort have been invaluable in bringing us to this point. As we move forward, I am confident that the reconstituted CAAG will build on their legacy, driving innovation, fostering investment, intra-African trade and export development, and enhancing cultural expression across the continent. Together, we will continue to support and empower Africa’s creative talents, in the context of a Global Africa, ensuring their rightful place on the global stage.”

Other members of the reconstituted CAAG are: Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Google Africa; Vincent Berry II, Singer, Songwriter and Producer; Didier Drogba, renowned African footballer and President, Didier Drogba Foundation; Omar Ben Yedder, Group Publisher and Managing Director, IC Publications; Azza Fahmy, Founder, Azza Fahmy Designs; Oscar ‘Oskido’ Mdlongwa, Recording Artist and Record Producer, Legend Live; Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director and CEO, Bank of Industry; Kibonen Nfi, CEO, Cameroon Clothing; Mamou Daffe, President, African Culture Fund; Hana El-Beblawy, Founder, ARD Art Institution; Orlando Romain, OECS Advisor on the Creative Economy; George Gachara, Founding Partner, The Heva Fund; and H.E. Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy of Nigeria.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Business

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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