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Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Joins Forces with European and African Partners

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3 years ago

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AWIEF

WITH is a two-year initiative that aims to skill and empower a new generation of climate and sustainability conscious women intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs and business owners

SEVILLE, Spain, May 26, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Seven organisations from Africa and Europe have partnered to form a consortium and launched the project, WITH: Boosting Women Entrepreneurship Education in Tourism and Hospitality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Co-funded by the European Union, WITH was officially launched last week in Seville, Spain.

The partner organisations are: Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), South Africa; Seville Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation, Spain; International Consulting and Mobility Agency (INCOMA), Spain; Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigeria; Centro Studi e Iniziative Europeo (CESIE), Italy; Equip Consulting Group, Malawi; and Gift Women Link Foundation, Uganda.

WITH is a two-year initiative that aims to skill and empower a new generation of climate and sustainability conscious women intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed in the tourism and hospitality industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.

WITH’s key objectives are to empower young women with the soft skills and personal and social competences needed to succeed as entrepreneurs, support trainers and educators in updating their knowledge and practices aligned with labour market needs and international practices, introduce and promote sustainable tourism and hospitality concepts, and boost experiential learning opportunities by working with public and private institutions active in vocational education and training (VET) and in the labour market.

Francisco Herrero León, President of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation of Seville, welcomed the WITH partners at their headquarters for a kick-off meeting last week, and said that the organisation was very proud of being involved in a project where entrepreneurship and women are linked.

“At the Seville Chamber of Commerce, we are working intensely to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem every day, especially in recent years, we are boosting the role of women entrepreneurs, supporting them through programmes and initiatives. We hope to continue helping women entrepreneurs around the world thanks to the WITH project.

During these two years, the European and African entities involved will work together to reinforce the entrepreneurial mindset of young women in Sub-Saharan African countries

“The kick-off meeting has been just a starting point of inspiring organisations. During these two years, the European and African entities involved will work together to reinforce the entrepreneurial mindset of young women in Sub-Saharan African countries and bring sustainability consciousness to the new generations in the fields of tourism and hospitality.”

AWIEF Founder and CEO, Irene Ochem, added: “We are passionate about helping African women entrepreneurs build and scale the next generation of innovative and sustainable businesses that impact the lives of all of us in the coming years. We are taking this to the next level by engaging in effective multi-stakeholder partnerships as the WITH project, to mobilize and share knowledge, expertise and resources to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.”

Juan Guerrero, Head of Research and Innovation, INCOMA, said: “INCOMA will bring to WITH its more than 20 years of experience in highly relevant projects, such as ATHENA, SMART Volunteering for Female Migrants, CulTVET and EU4BCC, among others. We are very excited and inspired after this partnership kick-off meeting and launching of the project in our city, and looking forward to seeing the results start to show.”

Giulia Tarantino, Coordinator, International Cooperation at CESIE said, “CESIE is thrilled to work on the WITH project, as it focuses on three key aspects at the heart of our activities: women empowerment, entrepreneurship and tourism. Having developed several initiatives in this field, providing training and coaching opportunities to people interested in starting a business, we will try to capitalise on all these experiences to make a positive contribution to the WITH project.”

Rollins Chitika, Managing Director, Equip Consulting Group, said, “The WITH Project will inspire young women to seize opportunities, overcome challenges and actualize their entrepreneurial goals. This is the generation that promises to circumvent existing barriers to economic development in our country and Equip Consulting Group is thrilled to be working with partners from Africa and Europe in our contribution to making economic growth a reality.”

Follow WITH Project on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more information. For enquiries, email withproject@awieforum.org.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).

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Hong Kong’s Chief Executive takes to the airwaves to discuss his strategic vision for development under the city’s First Five-Year Plan

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5 minutes ago

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September 21, 2026

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Chief Executive

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 September 2026 – Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee, took part in a radio phone-in programme this morning (September 18), fielding questions about the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and his fifth Policy Address, which were unveiled on Wednesday (September 16).

 




 
 

Quizzed on various aspects of the HKSAR Government’s new blueprint for economic and social development, Mr Lee said the inaugural Five-Year Plan set out five main objectives for Hong Kong: better livelihoods for all; breakthroughs in economic development; expanding global competitiveness and influence; faster development of the Northern Metropolis; and to better serve the country.

“The strength of Hong Kong is its international status, and we have been emphasising on how we ensure the internationalism or the ‘internationalness’ of Hong Kong. We are expanding to cover every part of the world where we can reach,” Mr Lee said, noting that the Government had offices, including Economic and Trade Offices, and the offices of Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, in countries around the world. “I’m very serious about expanding our network.”

Since taking office four years ago, Mr Lee has led delegation visits to regions, including ASEAN Member States, the Middle East, and recently Central Asia. “And my colleagues really go more often to different parts of the world, so for South Africa, and also Kenya and these are the very popular African places that my colleagues go to visit,” he added.

To boost Hong Kong’s influence in overseas markets, Mr Lee highlighted the example of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

“We are very proud to have the headquarters of IOMed set up in Hong Kong, because this is an organisation which is of United Nations status,” Mr Lee said. He added that an international office would be set up in Hong Kong under the global network of corruption prevention authorities. “Hong Kong is an international city, which not just is very good at doing business, but is exercising its responsibility as a global participator, and also, we really can contribute.”

“And this is also very important, because it just means how, in different areas, Hong Kong is doing very well, and also very connected to the world. And not just being a member, but being a contributor, being really a driver, and we want to share our good experiences, and also learn from other experiences.”

The First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address placed strong focus on speeding up the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) project, so as to boost long-term economic development, improve people’s livelihoods and help the city to further integrate into overall national development.

“The Northern Metropolis represents about one third of our geographical area. So it is a big piece of land that gives us new opportunities. An opportunity to upgrade ourselves, both from the accommodation angle as well as development angle,” Mr Lee said.

Beyond the city’s core economic strengths such as finance, shipping and trade, Mr Lee said the NM would provide room for diversifying local industries, creating new jobs and a brighter future as more development opportunities emerge from different kinds of industries as well as closer alignment with national development.

“The NM is actually mentioned in our country’s 15th Five-Year Plan. That means it is not just a Hong Kong development, it has been elevated as a state-driven project. And with the elevation of position, we will have to work hard. And I am sure that the Central Government will also help us to ensure that this will be a success story.

“And so, doing the Five-Year Plan has this advantage. We will capitalise on all the opportunities that the state can give us. At the same time, we will remain very fully connected to the international world. So we have the beauty of both worlds.”

Asked about Hong Kong’s approach to adopting artificial intelligence (AI), Mr Lee stressed the need to take advantage of the opportunities brought by AI, while also protecting against the risks of AI, in areas such as crime, fraud, sexual abuse and potential negative impacts on younger people.

“Last year, we talk very much about how we should benefit from the application of AI, how it will do things faster, and how it will also do things more correctly,” Mr Lee said.

“So while we develop and ensure people understand and use it, we also need to tell everybody the potential risks that it will bring.”

Mr Lee said the Government would create a post of Commissioner for AI, with a mandate that he is “the chief for the whole government, in terms of AI. It means setting the policy. It means coordinating resources, identify problems for them, setting the best practices, issuing guidelines. And also, very importantly, is developing AI for the whole of government with a view to, after we have developed our experience, let the world also learn from these experiences.”
 




 

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Deals, Drilling and New Entrants Define Angola Oil & Gas 2026

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11 minutes ago

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September 21, 2026

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AOG

Eleven agreements, new exploration commitments and billions of dollars in planned investment highlight Angola’s push to convert upstream reform into projects, production and broader energy-sector growth

LUANDA, Angola, September 18, 2026/APO Group/ –The Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition – organized by Energy Capital & Power (https://EnergyCapitalPower.com) – concluded in Luanda with a clear emphasis on accelerating exploration and production. Across three days, 11 deals were signed, new entrants outlined plans to establish positions in the country and existing operators committed billions of dollars to further exploration and development. The outcomes of the event reaffirm AOG as the official investment platform for the country’s oil and gas sector.

 




  

Eleven Deals Advance Angola’s Investment Pipeline

Eleven agreements were formalized during AOG 2026, spanning new acreage, mature-field investment, financing, gas-based industry and emissions reduction. Angola’s National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) signed agreements with international oil companies covering deepwater Blocks 19, 34 and 35; Blocks 8 and 22; Block 33/24; Blocks 17/25 and 32/21; and further investment in Block 32. Agreements also supported incremental production at Blocks 15 and 31, financing for Etu Energias’ expansion at Block 14 and the social responsibility component of Amufert’s planned $2 billion Soyo fertilizer complex.

Exploration Moves to the Forefront

The ANPG set a target of at least 10 wells annually as Angola seeks to rebuild its exploration pipeline and offset mature-field decline. Shell pledged to pursue exploration aggressively following three agreements signed at AOG. Corcel is also considering a mid-2027 exploration well at KON-16 in the onshore Kwanza Basin following completion of a 326-line-km 2D seismic campaign.

TotalEnergies, Chevron Double Down

Existing operators used AOG to reaffirm long-term investment. TotalEnergies announced plans to invest $10 billion alongside project partners across its Angolan portfolio over the next five years, while further investment at Dalia could unlock up to 400 million barrels under Angola’s incremental-production framework. Chevron plans additional investment in Block 0 following the concession’s extension to 2050.

Pertamina, Panoro Eye Angola Entry

AOG also brought indications of new international participation. Indonesia’s Pertamina announced plans to pursue an upstream operator role in Angola. Panoro Energy, meanwhile, is assessing opportunities across Angola’s onshore, offshore, frontier and brownfield segments. Senior Advisor Tim O’Hanlon said that “it won’t be long before we are in Angola,” highlighting favorable fiscal terms and increasing competition.

It won’t be long before we are in Angola

Pre-Conference Sets Investment Agenda

AOG 2026 began with a dedicated pre-conference program focused on Angola’s next phase of oil and gas development. Workshops and technical discussions examined gas infrastructure, downstream markets, exploration technology and investment opportunities, setting the stage for the commitments announced during the main conference.

Gas and Refining Shift Toward Domestic Value Creation

Angola’s Gas Master Plan emerged as a major industrialization platform, targeting approximately $13 billion in midstream and downstream investment across five hubs. Downstream expansion is advancing in parallel. Angola is targeting 425,000 barrels per day of refining capacity across Luanda, Cabinda, Lobito and Soyo as it seeks to reduce a refined-product import bill that reached approximately $1.96 billion in the first half of 2026.

AOG Recognizes Industry and Emerging Talent

The AOG Awards recognized achievements across the value chain, with Azule Energy named Game Changer of the Year, Sonangol Explorer of the Year, Etu Energias Local Company of the Year and the Cabinda Refinery Downstream Player of the Year. Aníbal Octávio Teixeira da Silva received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Four female students – Abigail Francisco Boa, Chana Lisboa, Genilda Ricardo and Madalena Yanesa Ramos Neto – also received the Albina Faria de Assis Pereira Africano Scholarship, which provides financial support to leading female entrants to Angola’s National Petroleum Institute.

ANPG Expands Investor Access

The ANPG took another step toward improving the investment environment, launching an upgraded website featuring AI-powered search and a dedicated investor space. The platform provides greater access to industry data, investment opportunities and ANPG teams, supporting faster communication between the regulator and prospective investors.

Exhibition Connects Industry Players

Alongside the conference, the AOG 2026 exhibition brought together operators, service companies, technology providers and government institutions, providing a platform to showcase projects, capabilities and investment opportunities across Angola’s oil and gas value chain.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 




 

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Afreximbank, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) and Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy Authority launch project preparation partnership to accelerate 24H+ projects

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13 minutes ago

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September 21, 2026

By

Afreximbank

Ghana’s 24H+ Programme is a production-led, private-sector-driven agenda to transform the country into a competitive production hub

CAIRO, Egypt, September 18, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) and the Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy (24H) have signed a Joint Project Preparation Facility (JPPF) Framework Agreement to accelerate the preparation of priority projects under Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+).

 




  

The Authority currently values the wider 24H+ investment pipeline at approximately US$11.5 billion. The JPPF will support selected priority projects in the pipeline, subject to joint screening and approval. Afreximbank and GIIF will pilot the intervention, with each making an initial contribution of US$5 million to finance eligible technical, financial, legal and advisory work needed to resolve bankability constraints and structure projects for financing.

The agreement was signed by Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, on behalf of Afreximbank; Mr. Nana Dwemoh Benneh, Chief Executive Officer, on behalf of GIIF; and Mr. Augustus Obuadum Tanoh, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, on behalf of 24H.

Under the tripartite arrangement, 24H will bring forward strategic projects and coordinate government stakeholders; GIIF will contribute local origination and infrastructure-investment capability; and Afreximbank will provide project-preparation and capital-mobilisation expertise. The parties will jointly screen and prioritise projects.

Ghana’s 24H+ Programme is a production-led, private-sector-driven agenda to transform the country into a competitive production hub. It is structured around eight interconnected pillars spanning agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, the creative industries and tourism, logistics, finance, skills and national mobilisation.

 

This JPPF will play a catalytic role in translating Ghana’s 24H+ vision into projects that attract capital, expand exports and create jobs

The JPPF will play a catalytic role in supporting implementation across the eight pillars of the 24H+ Economy by converting priority initiatives into well-prepared, finance-ready projects. Its focus areas include energy and infrastructure; logistics and digital connectivity; industrial parks; manufacturing and agro-processing; minerals beneficiation; tourism; the creative industries; and healthcare.

In addition to financing individual preparation assignments, the JPPF includes a structured institutional-development component for GIIF, comprising training, knowledge transfer, capacity building and staff secondments. This is intended to deepen GIIF’s in-house capacity to originate, structure and manage future project pipelines.

Commenting on the framework agreement, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, said:

“This JPPF will play a catalytic role in translating Ghana’s 24H+ vision into projects that attract capital, expand exports and create jobs. By combining Afreximbank’s project-development and capital-mobilisation expertise, GIIF’s local investment capability and the 24-Hour Economy Authority’s coordinating mandate, we will accelerate priority projects, strengthen Ghanaian project preparation capacity and build a sustained pipeline of investment-ready transactions.”

She added that the strong demonstration effect and replication potential of the agreement could see the tripartite JPPF model become a blueprint for other African countries, encouraging similar partnerships and raising the standard of project preparation. Mrs. Awani said the partnership would address Ghana’s trade-enabling infrastructure and industrialisation gaps by combining project origination, technical advisory services and co-financing of preparation costs. This support is intended to produce investment-ready projects capable of attracting significant private capital.

Commenting on GIIF’s participation, Nana Dwemoh Benneh, Chief Executive Officer, GIIF, reiterated that:

“The partnership reinforces GIIF’s role as an infrastructure finance partner to the 24-Hour Economy and strengthens our ability to advance priority projects from concept to investment readiness. Beyond the US$10 million commitment to project preparation, a key value of the JPPF is its capacity-building component, which will provide GIIF with access to Afreximbank’s extensive project preparation expertise through training, knowledge transfer, and staff secondments. This will deepen our in-house capabilities to identify, structure, and prepare bankable projects and enhance institutional capacity and self-reliance, enabling the development of a strong pipeline of investment-ready projects capable of attracting private capital and supporting Ghana’s long-term infrastructure and economic transformation.”

Mr. Augustus Obuadum Tanoh, Presidential Adviser, 24H, added that “The 24H+ Programme is delivered through transformational projects, and a project attracts capital only when it is properly prepared. This Facility will help translate Ghana’s development priorities into well-structured, bankable projects that expand productive capacity, improve workforce productivity, increase exports and create sustainable jobs. We will bring our priority projects in energy, agro-industry, manufacturing and logistics to the Facility, and we are confident that, working with Afreximbank and GIIF, we will take them from concept to construction and deliver tangible opportunities for Ghanaians.”

By converting 24H+ priorities into investment-ready projects, the JPPF is expected to accelerate Ghana’s transformation into a competitive production and export hub and deepen its integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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