The high-profile event which took place on Thursday, 7^th May 2026, at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, came as part of ongoing preparations for the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026), scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 June 2026, under the high patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan. It highlighted the Group’s ongoing support for private sector development and its efforts to stimulate promising investment and trade opportunities in the Azerbaijani market.

The event also served as a unique opportunity inviting the audience to participate actively in IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026). The program included panel discussions and specialized workshops on ways to enhance economic partnerships and the role of IsDB Group’s institutions in supporting the needs of member countries. The spectra of services, solutions and financial tools were also presented, including lines and modes of Islamic financing, trade finance and trade development solutions, corporate private sector financing, as well as risk mitigation solutions plus investment insurance and export credit insurance services.

Keynote speakers, in their speeches, underlined strong commitment to deepening engagement with the private sector and fostering meaningful partnerships that drive sustainable economic growth in light of the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, all to showcase integrated solutions especially in Islamic finance, trade, investment, and risk mitigation while working closely and collectively with private sector partners to unlock new opportunities, support innovation, and empower businesses contributing to inclusive and resilient development across IsDB Group member countries.

This recognition affirms APO Group’s continued leadership in performance-driven communications and reflects the strength of an integrated model that delivers strategic advisory, execution, and guaranteed media visibility across Africa.

Part of the international World Business Outlook Awards programme, the award recognises organisations demonstrating excellence, innovation, and measurable impact in their respective sectors. For APO Group, it builds on a sustained record of performance, having won the same category in 2024, and scooping dual honours in 2023: Leading PR Firm Africa and Leading Pan-African Communications Consultancy Africa.

These consecutive wins reflect consistent delivery, market leadership, and growing recognition of APO Group’s differentiated approach to communications on the continent.

Operating across 54 African markets, APO Group has built an integrated communications model designed to replace fragmented approaches often associated with multi-market public relations, providing clients with the clarity, consistency, and control required to manage reputation and visibility at a continental scale.

“Our focus has always been on performance, not activity,” said Bas Wijne, Chief Executive Officer at APO Group. “This recognition reflects the trust clients place in us to deliver communications strategies that are measurable, accountable and effective across Africa’s diverse markets. It also reinforces our belief that integrated communications, when built around outcomes, can create real strategic advantage.”

APO Group’s model supports multinational companies, African institutions and development organisations seeking measurable results across complex, fast-evolving markets. By aligning advisory, execution and guaranteed visibility within a single system, the consultancy enables clients to achieve stronger narrative consistency, greater media impact and more controlled reputation outcomes.

As organisations increasingly seek communications partners capable of delivering both strategic counsel and executional certainty, APO Group continues to strengthen its position as a consultancy built for performance, designed for Africa, and trusted by organisations operating across the continent.

InterOil’s sponsorship reflects a core reality in Angola’s hydrocarbon market: as projects become more complex and move into deeper waters, the ability to sustain operations through integrated logistics solutions is emerging as a defining constraint. The company’s model – combining onshore coordination with offshore execution – addresses this directly, ensuring continuity across high-intensity operations where downtime carries significant financial and technical risk.

Operating in a complex offshore environment, InterOil has built its track record around reliability and operational discipline. A key reference point is the Kaombo development in Block 32, operated by TotalEnergies. Since 2014, the company has supported the project through integrated onshore and offshore logistics, sustaining operations for both the FPSO Kaombo North and FPSO Kaombo South. The development remains one of Angola’s most technically complex offshore assets, and InterOil’s role in maintaining operational continuity underscores the importance of logistics providers in stabilizing production and ensuring efficiency at scale.

This operational focus is complemented by a long-term commitment to local content development. InterOil has prioritized the recruitment, training and advancement of Angolan professionals, embedding structured capacity-building and knowledge transfer into its operating model. In a market where local participation is both a regulatory requirement and a strategic imperative, this approach supports workforce development while reinforcing operational resilience.

As Angola seeks to sustain production above one million barrels per day by expanding infrastructure, accelerating offshore projects and deepening local participation across the value chain, the role of logistics providers is becoming more strategic. AOG 2026 provides a platform where these capabilities are integrated into broader project discussions, connecting operators, service providers and investors around execution as a core pillar of project success. InterOil’s participation underscores a broader industry shift: in Angola’s next phase of growth, operational delivery will carry as much weight as resource potential.