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African Development Bank, Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) sign Letter of Intent to support Africa’s low-income countries

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African Development Bank

Both organizations are committed to providing resources to support the activities outlined in the Letter of Intent

BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 18, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund, today signed a letter of intent to strengthen collaboration on the provision of early warning systems in the continent’s most vulnerable countries.

The agreement, signed on the margins of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, marks a new step in the Bank’s efforts to promote partnerships to help countries tackle climate change. The letter was signed by African Development Bank Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, and Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General World Meteorological Organization Co-Chair SOFF Steering Committee.

The parties will collaborate on actions through the African Development Bank’s Climate Action Window, set up by the African Development Fund under its 16th replenishment cycle, to help fill Africa’s significant climate finance gap.

The agreement notes the important role of national meteorological and hydrological services for the provision of weather and climate observations and forecasts and warnings that are essential to the safety and well-being of African people and communities and the protection of property.

It said significant data gaps exist in Africa in harnessing data for Climate Action. According to the World Meteorological Organizations’ Global Basic Observation Networks (GBON) baseline of 2023, Africa’s Low-Income Countries have a GBON compliance rate of 4% for surface observations and 3% for upper air observations.

SOFF already supports 23 countries in Africa with $62 million to bridge the gap in observational data which significantly limits the ability to produce timely and accurate forecasts, early warnings, and climate prediction across the continent.

Under the agreement the Bank and SOFF will:

  • Convene joint AfDB-SOFF events on advocacy and resource mobilization for investments in Early Warning for All
  • Jointly advocate the importance of investments in NMHS capacity
  • Co-organize at least every two years a joint workshop to track progress that brings together beneficiary countries, operational partners as well and bilateral and multilateral development and climate finance partners.
  • Build capacity and technical assistance to close the early warning gaps in Africa, including monitoring of the Climate Action Window and SOFF investments

Both organizations are committed to providing resources to support the activities outlined in the Letter of Intent.

The Climate Action Window has already made available $321.8 million in funding for investments that strengthen early warning systems in 37 regional member countries of the Bank Group.

SOFF was co-created in 2021 by the WMO, UNDP and UNEP at the 26th session of the Conference of the

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

SOFF contributes to strengthening climate adaptation and resilient development by improving weather and climate observations that in turn support better weather forecasts, early warning systems and climate information services to save lives and livelihoods and protect property.   

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

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Tema Oil Refinery Managing Director (MD) Joins Accra Investor Briefing, Targets Greater Fuel Security in Ghana

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Taking place on April 14, 2025 in Accra, the briefing will spotlight emerging opportunities across Ghana’s oil, gas and broader energy sectors

Dr. Yussif Sulemana, Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) in Ghana, has confirmed his participation in the Invest in African Energies: Accra Investor Briefing, as the company aims to enhance operational efficiency and reinforce Ghanaian fuel security. Taking place on April 14, 2025 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the event serves as a prelude to the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference, returning to Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, 2025.

The Accra briefing will explore emerging opportunities across Ghana’s energy landscape, from upstream acreage to regulatory reforms to downstream infrastructure developments. With over 17 oil and gas projects expected to come online by 2027, Ghana is poised for a significant expansion in crude production. Backed by over 1.1 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 2.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the country is ramping up both production and refining efforts. Key projects such as the Jubilee and TEN fields are central to this growth, as Ghana continues to attract upstream investment.

The company’s forward-looking strategy to boost capacity will undoubtedly generate substantial value for both the company and the country

Established in 1963, the Tema Oil Refinery stands as Ghana’s flagship refining facility and hosts the country’s largest single storage tank. The refinery has a crude storage capacity of 1,925,348 barrels across 59 tanks, representing 44% of Ghana’s national storage capacity. TOR is also the country’s sole producer of Premix fuel and operates the largest LPG storage facility in Ghana. Looking ahead, the refinery is seeking $25 million to support the maintenance and reactivation of an essential unit within its crude distillation unit. The goal is to enhance operational efficiency and ensure TOR’s continued role in sustaining national fuel distribution and energy security.

As Managing Director, Dr. Sulemana has committed to revitalizing the refinery’s operations by focusing on productivity, overcoming operational challenges and seizing emerging opportunities. This includes fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders. A recent visit by the National Petroleum Authority in Q1 2025 identified areas for performance improvement, while the refinery’s Finance and Audit team benefited from a KPMG-led in-house training program aimed at aligning internal audit practices with global standards.

“As one of Africa’s first eight refineries and Ghana’s premier facility, the Tema Oil Refinery plays a vital role in reducing petroleum imports and ensuring fuel security in West Africa. The company’s forward-looking strategy to boost capacity will undoubtedly generate substantial value for both the company and the country,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

The Invest in African Energies: Accra Investor Briefing will lay the foundation for deal-signing and engagement during AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town. Uniting key players from across Ghana’s oil and gas sector, the briefing will address sector-wide challenges and opportunities, fostering deeper collaboration as the country seeks to scale up production and strengthen regional energy distribution.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber

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Moneda Invest, FNB Namibia, Ino Capital Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Namibia

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Supported by the African Energy Chamber, Moneda Invest, FNB Namibia and InoCapital Investments have joined forces to launch a game-changing Local Content Accelerator, driving SME participation and African-led growth in Namibia’s energy sector

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 14, 2025/APO Group/ –In a strategic move aimed at transforming Namibia’s energy sector, Nigerian investment firm Moneda Invest has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FNB Namibia and private equity firm Ino Capital Investments to support and scale local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Namibia’s rapidly growing oil, gas and energy industries. The African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org) fully endorses this partnership, viewing it as a prime example of how African institutions and investors must lead the charge in fostering inclusive economic growth across the continent.

The MoU formalizes the collaboration between the parties and establishes the Local Content Accelerator program – an inclusive platform designed to empower Namibian SMEs, suppliers and contractors to fully participate in the energy value chain. Central to this transformative initiative is a shared commitment to building a sustainable and dynamic ecosystem for local content development.

A key contributor to this milestone, Ejike Egbuagu, CEO of Moneda Invest, has played an instrumental role in realizing this vision. Egbuagu’s journey with Namibia began at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies – the continent’s premier energy event – which brings together African leaders, global investors and energy executives. As a partner of AEW 2024, Moneda has consistently championed the development of local businesses in the energy sector, recognizing Namibia’s potential as a future energy hub and committing to support the country’s local economic transformation.

Moneda’s partnership with Namibia also deepened during AEW 2022, when the firm signed a three-year collaboration agreement with Namibia’s national oil company, NAMCOR, to share knowledge, enhance skills and unlock investment opportunities for MSMEs within the oil and gas sector. Building on this foundation, Moneda is now taking further steps to invest in Namibia’s energy landscape, strengthening its support for local content initiatives and playing a pivotal role in driving sustainable, inclusive growth in the country’s burgeoning energy sector.

This partnership provides the proper backbone, supported by our experience operating in Nigeria, DRC and other parts of Africa

“We are very honored to sign this partnership with FNB,” Egbuagu stated. “The truth is that the opportunity we see here is vast – it’s huge. However, banks and financial institutions must have an appetite for the unknown. Oil and gas represent the unknown in Namibia. This partnership provides the proper backbone, supported by our experience operating in Nigeria, DRC and other parts of Africa.”

https://apo-opa.co/43RjL4z

The MoU outlines a strategic roadmap for unlocking financing and operational support for SMEs across the energy value chain, from contractors to service providers to logistics firms. The partnership marks a significant turning point – a new phase where African businesses are not only recipients of capital but champions of development. This MoU exemplifies the impact of long-term, strategic investment in African talent and businesses, and serves as a call to action for other African institutions and leaders to invest deeply, remain committed and trust in the continent’s potential.

As Africa’s energy sector continues to expand, the need for effective local content policies, strategies and initiatives becomes more urgent for local job creation and value retention. The upcoming AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies conference, taking place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, will highlight how well-designed partnerships can drive SME participation and growth. The event will bring together operators, financiers and investors with local companies, fostering collaboration and strengthening Africa’s energy industries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber

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14% increase in spyware attacks on businesses in Africa: Kaspersky presents a cyberthreat report at GITEX Africa

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Kaspersky

Phishing and ransomware continue to be significant threats in the region, with 66 million phishing link clicks seen by Kaspersky in the African region in 2024

As part of the company’s participation at the GITEX Africa conference, taking place in Morocco on 14-16 April 2025, Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) will address the dynamics for cyberthreats in the African region as per the latest anonymised data from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN)[1]. From 2023 to 2024 businesses in Africa were targeted by web threats, on-device threats, and attacks aiming to steal data, including spyware and password stealers. Phishing and ransomware continue to be significant threats in the region, with 66 million phishing link clicks seen by Kaspersky in the African region in 2024, including over 14.8 million phishing link clicks by corporate users.

Web-based threats, or online threats, are a category of cybersecurity risks that may cause an undesirable event or action affecting users browsing the Internet. According to Kaspersky data, there were 131 580 587 web threats detected in 2024 in the African region, including almost 20 million attack attempts in Kenya, almost 17 million in South Africa, and 12.6 million in Morocco. Businesses were targeted by web threats more often in 2024 than in 2023, with threat detections increasing by 1.2%.

Local (on device) threats include malware that is spread via removable USB drives, CDs and DVDs, or that initially makes way onto the computer in non-open form (for example, programs in complex installers, encrypted files, etc.). According to Kaspersky telemetry, local (on device) threat detections in organisations in the African region in 2024 increased by 4% compared to 2023. Among the countries that saw growth in local threats detected in organisations were Nigeria (169% increase), Ethiopia (86%), South Africa (32%), Senegal (11%), and Morocco (9%).

There has been a spike of threats related to data theft. According to Kaspersky data, there was a 14% growth in spyware attack detections on businesses in the African region from 2023 to 2024. Spyware is secretly installed on a user’s computer to monitor their actions and collect their data. Apart from that, there has been a 26% increase in password stealer detections. Password stealers are a type of malware designed to harvest login credentials and other sensitive data.

“Our statistics show an increase in attack detections for several types of cyberthreats, and the factors driving these increases are multifaceted. In the B2B sector, the continuing shift toward hybrid work models and the rush to digitise operations — often outpacing cybersecurity investments — may leave businesses in Africa exposed to advanced persistent threats. In the B2C space, the explosion of digital financial services, coupled with low digital literacy rates, makes individuals prime targets for opportunistic attacks,” comments Maher Yamout, Lead Cybersecurity Researcher with Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team. “Organisations in Africa should prioritise a unified approach by enhancing collaboration, investing in specialised cybersecurity training, and promoting digital literacy to effectively combat the rising tide of cybercrime. Initiatives like the African Cyber Surge operation and targeted educational programs can serve as blueprints for building a resilient digital ecosystem across the continent.”

In the B2C space, the explosion of digital financial services, coupled with low digital literacy rates, makes individuals prime targets for opportunistic attacks

To stay protected, Kaspersky suggests following the recommendations below.

Individual users:

  • Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources.
  • Do not click on any links from unknown sources or suspicious online advertisements.
  • Always use two-factor authentication when available. Create strong and unique passwords, using a mix of lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and punctuation. Use a reliable password manager to help to remember them.
  • Always install updates when they become available; they contain fixes for critical security issues.
  • Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office or cybersecurity software.
  • Use a robust security solution appropriate to your system type and devices, such as Kaspersky Premium (apo-opa.co/3G2yjUZ).

Organisations:

  • Always keep software updated on all the devices you use to prevent attackers from infiltrating your network by exploiting vulnerabilities.
  • Do not expose remote desktop services (such as RDP) to public networks unless absolutely necessary and always use strong passwords for them.
  • Use solutions such as Kaspersky NEXT EDR Expert (apo-opa.co/4ifQ8NV) for comprehensive visibility across all endpoints on a company’s corporate network to get superior defense, automate routine EDR tasks, enable analysts to speedily hunt out, prioritise, investigate, and neutralise complex threats and APT-like attacks.
  • Use the latest Threat Intelligence (apo-opa.co/3XVFTa3) information to stay aware of actual TTPs used by threat actors.
  • Back up corporate data regularly. Backups should be isolated from the network. Make sure you can quickly access the backups in an emergency if needed.

The Kaspersky stand at GITEX Africa (https://GITEXAfrica.com) in Morocco will be located in Hall 13, 13C-20, while a keynote titled “When AI/ML fails in cybersecurity, humans are the last line of defense” will take place at the Dark Stage on April 15 at 2:10 PM.

 

Reference:

[1] Data sent to Kaspersky is anonymized and protected, even in transit, in accordance with stringent industry standards including encryption, digital certificates, segregated storage and strict data access policies. Learn more about KSN here: www.Kaspersky.com/KSN

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky

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