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African Development Bank projects improve job opportunities for young people in Cameroon

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African Development Bank

The meeting saw significant participation from female entrepreneurs and young graduates who have benefited from work placements in projects financed by the Bank

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon, April 16, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank (AfDB) (www.AfDB.org) has underscored the success of its program aimed at bolstering job opportunities for young people in Cameroon.

At a meeting convened in Yaoundé on April 9, 2024, chaired by Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the Bank Group’s Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery, stakeholders across various sectors gathered to discuss the Bank’s Program to Support Youth Employability in Cameroon.

The meeting saw significant participation from female entrepreneurs and young graduates who have benefited from work placements in projects financed by the Bank.

The event took place just ahead of the official inauguration of the African Development Bank Group’s regional office for Central Africa, signaling the Bank’s unwavering commitment to regional development.

Alongside young interns engaged in professional immersion within Bank-funded projects, the gathering also brought together male and female entrepreneurs active in agriculture, fishing, livestock, fish farming, and young women supported by the Bank to establish their own businesses. Additionally, managers from project management units were in attendance.

According to Serge N’Guessan, Director General of the Bank Group for Central Africa and head of the Bank’s Country Office in Cameroon, interns are deployed to projects in roles such as disbursement or contract award assistants, assistant engineers for road projects, archivists, among others.

N’Guessan revealed that 284 young individuals had already benefited from 12-month placements, providing them with valuable opportunities to integrate into various workplace settings, including projects funded by the Bank or other donors, as well as the private or public sectors. Notably, seven of them have secured positions within the Ministry of Public Works.

As the program prepares to receive its seventh cohort of interns, it has significantly contributed to integrating the majority of beneficiaries into the workforce.

We offer guarantees to commercial banks so that they can lend to female entrepreneurs

Dieudonné Toukea, one of the program beneficiaries, shared her experience, underscoring the opportunities afforded by her initial exposure to the workplace, which enabled her to pursue her aspirations in the consultancy field.

“This initial experience really opened up opportunities for my friends and me. It gave me the chance to develop other activities after my placement and look for additional qualifications, which means I can now pursue a career in consultancy. Thank you for the opportunity we were given,” she said.

The participants advocated for the opening up a fund to finance entrepreneurs and for more opportunities to work on Bank projects. Finally, they hoped that the process of creating a web platform for networking with former interns could be speeded up.

Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade reasserted the importance of self-employment, especially for young people and women, emphasizing the Bank Group’s support through initiatives such as AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa). She highlighted collaboration with commercial banks to make access to credit easier for female entrepreneurs, emphasizing their reliability and greater capacity for repaying loans.

“We work with the commercial banks and offer them guarantees that help them to lend to female entrepreneurs. We also organize training for credit managers in banks to raise their awareness about being more open to funding applications submitted by women, since – contrary to popular belief – there is little risk in lending to women and women are best when it comes to repayments,” she stated.

“The project here in Cameroon is unique and I urge you to seize the opportunity, keep training and improve your skills to be even more competitive in the labour market,” the Vice-President of the Bank Group told the young people present. She pointed out that Africa needed to find work for the 12 million jobseekers who joined the labour market every year.

The meeting was also an opportunity for Jeanine Nkodo, coordinator of the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, to highlight the specific efforts to support female entrepreneurs in this sector.

The Vice-President concluded by speaking about the Bank’s recent adoption of its ten-year strategy, which puts young people and women at the heart of its priorities. She also reaffirmed the Bank’s role as one of Cameroon’s key partners, particularly in terms of infrastructure funding and support for regions in crisis.

The Bank is also keen to support large businesses, particularly in the private sector, to encourage greater openness to young people and women.

“The Bank is open to providing funding to support these interns’ projects to help them integrate into society and the workplace by starting their own businesses,” said the Vice-President.

“We offer guarantees to commercial banks so that they can lend to female entrepreneurs” – Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery

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

Business

Aurionpro expands its multi-country transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB)

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Aurionpro

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers

MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Aurionpro Solutions Limited (www.AurionPro.com) (BSE: 532668 | NSE: AURIONPRO)a global leader in banking technology, announced the expansion and upgrade of its transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), to modernize and enhance the bank’s corporate transaction banking capabilities across multiple countries.

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/4edHUaC

This multi-country transaction banking upgrade covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania aligns with DTB’s intent to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and support growing transaction volumes as it expands its regional corporate banking footprint. DTB continues to focus on building a more agile, ‘digital-first’ banking experience, particularly around payments for its corporate customers across Africa, and is now well positioned to scale these capabilities. As part of its broader transformation agenda, the bank has been steadily investing in platforms that enhance scale, reliability, and service consistency across markets.

Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers. By enabling DTB to standardize and scale its transaction banking operations across countries, the platform ensures consistent service levels, stronger control, and improved efficiency. It also supports enhanced user experience, advanced security, and the flexibility to introduce new features as DTB expands its regional transaction banking footprint.

Murali Natarajan (https://apo-opa.co/48trPdk), Managing Director & CEO, DTB Kenya   commented: “We are delighted to strengthen and broaden our partnership with Aurionpro Solutions as part of DTB’s ongoing digital transformation journey across multiple markets. Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity continues to guide our technology investments. This upgrade strengthens our transaction banking capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to our customers through robust digital channels and seamlessly integrated experiences.”

Ashish Rai, Group CEO, Aurionpro Solutions, commented: “We are pleased to deepen our multi-country engagement with Diamond Trust Bank and support the next phase of its transaction banking modernization. As DTB continues to scale across markets, platform resilience and consistency become paramount. Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility, deliver superior experiences to corporate customers, and create long-term value across geographies.”

He added, “Aurionpro’s iCashpro lays a strong digital foundation for transaction & wholesale banks across the globe to grow their corporate and SME client portfolio today, while creating a clear roadmap for next- generation capabilities in AI-driven insights, advanced automation and API-led connectivity for businesses in Kenya and across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.

 

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Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins African Mining Week (AMW) as South Africa Improves Sectorial Investment Climate

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Energy Capital

Minerals Council CEO to share insights on policy, infrastructure and investment trends shaping South Africa’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference will feature Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa, as a speaker. Scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event will bring together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders, with Mthenjane’s participation highlighting the council’s commitment to engaging international stakeholders and promoting investment across South Africa’s mining sector.

His participation comes at a critical moment as the Minerals Council works closely with government on finalizing the Mineral Resources Development Bill 2025, a policy framework aimed at strengthening the country’s mining investment climate and the sector’s contribution to GDP. According to the council, the revised legislation will support new investment across the value chain as South Africa seeks to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock its critical minerals potential.

The policy reforms come amid shifting production trends in the sector. In 2025, South Africa recorded declines in gold and platinum group metals output of 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen public-private partnerships and stimulate investment, enabling South Africa to increase production and capitalize on strong global commodity prices. Increased private sector investments is crucial with South Africa seeking targeting to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore potential as well as maintain its position as the world’s leading producer of chrome and manganese.

At AMW 2026, Mthenjane is expected to outline these trends, providing insights into how the council is contributing to addressing challenges disrupting the sector. Infrastructure and energy costs remain key concerns for industry players. To support the energy-intensive sector, South Africa approved a 35% reduction in electricity tariffs for major ferrochrome producers, helping stabilize an industry that has faced significant cost pressures after electricity prices surged by roughly 900% since 2008.

Logistics constraints are also a priority area for reform. South Africa’s economy is losing an estimated R1 billion per day due to inefficiencies across rail and port infrastructure. As a result, the government is considering measures supported by the Minerals Council to increase private sector participation in logistics. Planned reforms include rail modernization initiatives targeting 250 million tons of freight capacity by 2029, alongside port upgrades and private operator participation aimed at strengthening mineral exports and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, the Minerals Council is advocating for stronger exploration investment to support long-term industry growth.

At AMW, Mthenjane is expected to highlight these developments and outline the steps required to reinforce South Africa’s position in the global minerals supply chain. His insights will offer investors and stakeholders a timely perspective on opportunities within the country’s mining sector.

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

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

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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.

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