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African Development Bank enhances Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth Programs for greater impact

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African Development Bank

The ENABLE Youth program helps young African men and women access financing to grow their enterprises

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NAIROBI, Kenya, April 14, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) successfully concluded a three-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, aimed at enhancing its Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth Program in preparation for its next phase.

The ENABLE Youth program helps young African men and women access financing to grow their enterprises. Currently active in 15 countries with investments exceeding $490 million, and benefiting around 40,000 youths, the program has emerged as a transformative force in fostering entrepreneurship and tackling youth unemployment.

Held from 3rd-5th of April 2024, the workshop allowed Bank staff to assess the program’s progress and draw valuable lessons for future initiatives in the Regional Member Countries. There were around 45 participants, including Bank staff managing ENABLE Youth projects, government officials coordinating the projects, beneficiary youth agripreneurs, and development and private sector partners.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Nnenna Nwabufo, Director General for East Africa at the African Development Bank, underscored the pivotal role of the youth in advancing agriculture in Africa.

Nwabufo stated: “Africa can feed itself, however, we are importing food from outside the continent. Through empowering Africa’s youth, the Program is changing that story. The Program has demonstrated its potential to catalyze economic growth, create opportunities for young Africans, and drive sustainable development.”

The Program has demonstrated its potential to catalyze economic growth, create opportunities for young Africans, and drive sustainable development

Millicent Omukaga, Principal Policy Analyst at the Bank, highlighted the imperative of skills development and job creation in leveraging Africa’s demographic dividend. She called for a renewed focus on entrepreneurship and private sector engagement in the program’s future extensions.

Dr. Martin Fregene, Director for Agriculture and Agro-industry at the Bank, highlighted the role of agriculture in unlocking Africa’s economic potential and empowering its youth. “By equipping them with the necessary skills, technologies, resources, and support, we can harness the demographic dividend and transform the agricultural sector to make it more efficient and competitive and to become a driver of inclusive growth and prosperity,” Fregene said.

Dr. Damian Ihedioha, Manager for Agro-Industry and Agribusiness, stressed the importance of addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by youth agripreneurs. “Moving forward, we must adopt holistic approaches that address barriers to entry, access to finance, and market linkages to ensure the sustained success of our youth-led agribusiness ventures,” he reiterated.

Edson Mpyisi, Chief Financial Economist and ENABLE Youth Coordinator, underscored the collaborative nature of the program’s success, emphasizing the need for strengthened partnerships and collective action to maximize its impact.

The workshop concluded with a commitment to continue fostering an enabling ecosystem for youth empowerment, incubation, access to finance, and digitalization to drive sustainable development across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Ministers among hundreds of energy-sector leaders to attend AOW event

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The event kicks off with an invitation-only ministerial symposium focused on the theme of “Fostering innovation, attracting investment, and promoting sustainable growth in the oil, gas, and energy sectors”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 4, 2024/APO Group/ — 

AOW: Investing in African Energy (https://AOWEnergy.com) – Africa’s leading oil, gas and energy event – has confirmed attendance for more than 80 ministers and senior officials, representing African governments, energy departments and regulators at next month’s event.

These influential stakeholders will be among the more than 1 600 senior delegates and industry leaders who will be attending the event to develop policy, share discoveries, secure investment, and shape Africa’s energy future.

The event kicks off with an invitation-only ministerial symposium focused on the theme of “Fostering innovation, attracting investment, and promoting sustainable growth in the oil, gas, and energy sectors.”

Given the recent major oil-and-gas discoveries across Africa, the energy transition and major geopolitical events, it is clear that the energy sector needs positive intervention

Among the officials and government ministers attending will be energy leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Eswatini, Uganda, CAR, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Gabon, Malawi, Morocco, Zanzibar, Liberia, Senegal, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone.

In addition, the event will feature high-level delegations from numerous national oil companies, as well as multilateral bodies including the African Union, (AU), African Energy Commission (AFREC), African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

AOW will see these energy leaders networking with C-suite executives and decision-makers from more than 760 top energy companies at daily networking events, to discuss insights, forge new relationships, and negotiate major energy deals.

“We are so excited to see the calibre of delegates at this year’s AOW event,” says Chief Executive Officer of Sankofa Events, Paul Sinclair. “Given the recent major oil-and-gas discoveries across Africa, the energy transition and major geopolitical events, it is clear that the energy sector needs positive intervention. The high-powered attendance proves AOW is a key platform to enable this intervention.”

Key themes to be discussed at this year’s AOW will be sustainable upstream development; expanding gas value chains; renewables and new energies; adoption of best-in-class technologies; and access to finance.

AOW: Investing in African Energy will culminate in a special anniversary party at Groot Constantia Vineyard to celebrate 30 years of the AOW event.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AOW: Investing in African Energy.

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Afreximbank approves US$20.8 million for Starlink Global’s cashew factory project in Lagos

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The facility is expected to promote value addition which will guarantee increased earnings to the company while also fostering the creation of about 400 new jobs

CAIRO, Egypt, October 4, 2024/APO Group/ — 

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has approved a US$20.8 million financing facility for Nigeria-based Starlink Global & Ideal Limited to enable the company construct and operate a 30,000-metric tonne per annum cashew processing factory in Lagos.

We are delighted at this partnership which promises to deliver significant impact on employment in Nigeria

According to the facility agreement signed in on July 22, 2024, Afreximbank will provide the funds in two tranches with the first tranche of US$7.48M going toward capital expenditure for the construction of the factory and the second, totalling US$13.25M to be deployed as working capital for the operations of the factory.

The facility is expected to promote value addition which will guarantee increased earnings to the company while also fostering the creation of about 400 new jobs once the factory becomes operational. It is also expected to support about 40 small and medium-sized enterprises.

Commenting on the transaction, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra Africa Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, said that by supporting Starlink Global to establish a modern processing facility, Afreximbank is making it possible for Africa to add value to its agro-commodities, thereby facilitating exports and subsequent inflow of much-needed foreign exchange into the continent.

“We are delighted at this partnership which promises to deliver significant impact on employment in Nigeria. It will contribute to value creation and to the development of the local community while also improving the lots of smallholder farmers and small business suppliers that will work with Starlink across the value chain,” Mrs. Awani added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Sonangol to Lead Decarbonized Oil & Gas (O&G) Development, Says Angolan National Oil Company (NOC) Head

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Participating in an on-stage interview at Angola Oil & Gas 2024, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins emphasized that oil and gas remains a core focus for the national oil company

LUANDA, Angola, October 3, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Angola’s national oil company Sonangol reiterated its commitment to driving sustainable hydrocarbon development during the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference this week. Speaking during an “In-Conversation with” session, Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins stated that the company will not abandon oil and gas, but rather advance decarbonized oil and gas development.

We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas

By investing in upstream oil and gas production while prioritizing low-carbon projects, Sonangol aims to boost national crude output, while diversifying and decarbonizing the industry. The NOC is focusing efforts on non-associated gas development, as well as alternative energy sources such as solar.

“We are looking at opportunities in the gas sector and have identified the right partner to develop non-associated gas. Gas produced from Angola LNG will be used for the production of fertilizer and we are evaluating the utilization of gas in the south of the country, linking gas with steel industries. We also have a blue carbon project, linked to the reduction of carbon through the plantation of mangroves. We have one area in Luanda and have identified four additional areas for this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

Sonangol has undergone transformation in recent years: following the creation of the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) in 2019, Sonangol transferred its role as national concessionaire and regulator. This transformation has aimed to make Sonangol more competitive and strengthen its capacity as an upstream operator. Concurrently, the government is partially privatizing the NOC, with privatization set to be complete in 2026. This process will enhance financial capacity, allowing Sonangol to drive new upstream projects forward.

“The transformation of Sonangol started several years ago, when we passed the regulatory, concessionaire role to the ANPG. At the time, we transferred almost 600 employees to the ANPG. After that, Sonangol underwent a restructuring program where we created five core business units from 36 different entities – starting with exploration and production. We want to go public, but we want to do it properly. So, we are currently going through all the processes to do this,” stated Gaspar Martins.

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

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