Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

Afreximbank’s Kanayo Awani Receives African Diaspora Advisory Board Global Award

Published

on

afreximbank

The Global Woman Award celebrates exceptional women of African descent who have made significant contributions to global communities

Egalement disponible en Françaisتتوفر أيضا في العربية

CAIRO, Egypt, March 14, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank at the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), has received the African Diaspora Advisory Board (ADAB) Global Woman Award in Washington, D.C., for her work in promoting intra-African trade.

In a citation presented at the ceremony, Mrs. Awani was recognised for her dedication, visionary leadership, and remarkable impact in promoting intra-African trade.

The Global Woman Award celebrates exceptional women of African descent who have made significant contributions to global communities. The Award honours women’s outstanding achievements, leadership, and positive impact on various spheres in fostering empowerment and inspiration within the African diaspora and beyond. It serves as a testament to the resilience, innovation, and influence of the remarkable women on a global scale.

Accepting the award, Mrs. Awani paid tribute to the spirit of unrelenting commitment to Africa which underpinned Afreximbank’s work. She referred to their conviction at the Bank that: “Intra-African trade and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) offers Africa the opportunity to reverse engineer the colonial strategy that fragmented our economies and resigned Africa to the periphery of the global economy”.

She lamented that despite Africa’s enormous riches, the continent exported jobs and relinquished its development ambitions to others, stating that Afreximbank was committed to rectifying that situation and ensuring that Africa took its development ambitions into its own hands.

Afreximbank had purposefully broadened its understanding of intra-African trade to encompass not only commerce between African nations but also trade involving Africans worldwide

“We recognize that there is no reason why a continent that accounts for 18 per cent of the world’s population should only account for three per cent of global trade; or why a continent which accounts for over US$ 1 trillion dollars in trade, trades so little with itself; or why the payment for goods and services among African neighbours must be routed through banks outside our continent”, she added.

For that reason, Afreximbank was aggressively supporting intra-African trade and implementation of the AfCFTA, disbursing about US$40 billion in support of trade and investments since 2016.

Recognising that a unified global African community held the key to uplifting and dignifying individuals of African descent across the globe and that “our interconnectedness, both commercially and culturally, as a global African family, will play a pivotal role in addressing the unique challenges we face in our collective development journey”, Afreximbank had purposefully broadened its understanding of intra-African trade to encompass not only commerce between African nations but also trade involving Africans worldwide,” she said.

As part of its Diaspora strategy, the Bank has launched the Afreximbank Africa Diaspora Center, in partnership with the Africa Center in New York. 11 Caribbean Community Member States have joined the Bank as Participating Member States, and the Bank has opened in Barbados, its regional office for the Caribbean.

Stating that much more still needed to be done to fully harness the power of Global African trade, Mrs. Awani called for continued advocacy for policies that support entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment, adding that women must be empowered to actively participate in trade to ensure that they had equal access to resources and opportunities.

In another development, Mrs. Awani has also received the “Titan of Industry” by Canada-based African Union Sixth Region Global (AU6RG) for her “exceptional contributions and groundbreaking achievements as an Executive Vice President of Afreximbank”.

In a citation at the event, Mrs. Awani’s remarkable leadership was lauded as being instrumental in driving economic development initiatives that have propelled Afreximbank to new heights and positively impacted the broader global economic landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Energy

Seychelles Targets Energy Investment Push as Minister Jérémie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Speaker

Published

on

African Energy Chamber

Seychelles energy minister will speak at AEW 2026, positioning her to highlight reforms, renewable projects and investment opportunities as the island nation advances its transition toward a diversified energy system

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Continue Reading

Business

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Business

ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

Published

on

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).

 

Continue Reading

Trending