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Africana X plosion – From Nigeria to the World; Africana set standards for success in Africa

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The Africana brand made significant statement of intent – that they are taking the lead in the movement to propagate African fashion on a global scale

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 23, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The merry sound of clinking glasses, hearty laughter and afrobeats music permeated the cool September evening at Rue Marconi Zone 4, a posh business district in the Ivorien port city of Abidjan. The motley crowd of extremely well and colourfully dressed individuals gathered at the brilliantly lit venue were celebrating the grand opening of an Africana X (https://shopAfricana.co) flagship store – the first of its kind outside of Nigeria.

By establishing this new store in Abidjan, a city that widely reflects the culture of French speaking West Africa, the Africana (https://bit.ly/3R7Wv8m) brand made significant statement of intent – that they are taking the lead in the movement to propagate African fashion on a global scale.

Perhaps, this explains the fanfare and overwhelming outpouring of goodwill that greeted the event by friends and the teeming fans of the brand, both at the venue and online, across the brand’s social media platforms. To many who follow, patronize, collaborate with, or look up to Africana Couture, this ceremony signified more than just expansion, this was a celebration of African excellence and a milestone in Africana Couture’s (https://bit.ly/3Rbw3KW) masterplan to redefine what African fashion is, and ultimately rebrand Africa.

The brand, Africana Couture

Birthed by a vision to put African fashion on the world map, Africana’s focus was to change the way traditional African attire was perceived locally and internationally. The strategy to do this was simple; fuse the uninhibited creativity of African design concepts with the very best in tailoring methods/technology and top it off with unwavering commitment to excellence in process execution and service delivery.

More than 10 years down the line, this strategy has proven extremely effective. This is evidenced by the fact that Africana Couture (https://AfricanaCouture.com), boasts amongst its clientele, a wide assortment of presidents, industry leaders, celebrities and expatriate connoisseurs of great fashion, who are enamoured with the brand’s consistent track record of distinctive excellence.

However, with inclusiveness as one of the core edicts of the Africana brand, it became essential to devise a means to involve more people whose tastes might defer from the usual bespoke traditional offerings and this necessitated the creation of Africana X.

Africana X, or Africana Xperience (https://shopAfricana.co), is a subdivision of the Africana corporation that disrupts the market place for bespoke fashion by offering ready-to-wear pieces, at affordable prices, at its physical boutiques and e-marketplace. Africana Xperience caters to the needs of sophisticated individuals who want to enjoy the sartorial standards offered by bespoke tailoring, without the wait time that is usually required.

Taking its maxim of inclusiveness even further, Africana X goes beyond its primary offering of traditional pieces. With the Africana Heritage collection (https://bit.ly/3LA00Dp), it offers streetwear that pay homage to Icons of African history; the Africana Traditional Bags and Clan Scarf collections offer premium ancillary items; and even sneaker heads are not left out as the store offers a range of specially crafted sneakers to satisfy even the most avid collector.

The Africana X (https://shopAfricana.co) store expands the range of the brand’s service delivery potential from just luxury fashion to luxurious lifestyle, and in service of the promise of the brand’s moniker, has become a curator of the luxurious side of the African experience.

The incredible journey and success of the Africana brand can be attributed to the passion, dedication and creativity of the over 150-man team, however, none of these would have been possible without the vision, leadership and design of Charles ‘Africana’ Oronsaye (https://bit.ly/3dIYDpc).

The Man, Charles Oronsaye

Despite a degree and a promising career in Law, Charles Oronsaye (https://bit.ly/3Spo5Ph), the founding creative director of Africana Couture (https://bit.ly/3xKVnAO), made up his mind pretty early to deviate from the beaten path and follow his own way. Possessing a fiercely independent mind and rebellious spirit, he knew acquiescing to the dictates of societal expectations would never suit him, and so, after brief detours in music and the entertainment industry, his journey brought him to fashion.

From humble beginnings in Benin city, Nigeria, Charles had a very clear idea of what it was he was building. Even as a fresh-faced university graduate in early 2010s, Charles was adept at spotting opportunities; which in this case was the social media following he had built during his time in the media. In the absence of financial capital, he leveraged on his social capital to build a network of clients, partners and staff.

Operating exclusively from his social media platform, Charles learnt the trade on the journey, calling upon all his tenacious resolve, creativity, affable personality and ability to adapt and evolve. One decade later, the daring young man who had big dreams has been replaced by a seasoned businessman, Forbes entrepreneur and inspiration to a generation of young African fashion professionals.

The Africana X store expands the range of the brand’s service delivery potential from just luxury fashion to luxurious lifestyle

According to him, one key element in the success of the brand is that he has never lost sight of the principles which informed the mission in the first place. This is illustrated by the fact that despite the fact that he has assembled some of the brightest minds to build this dream with him, he remains deeply entrenched in the process, ensuring that the vision maintains its heading.

The fact that the name, Africana is interchangeably used to identify the man and the brand is testament to Charles’ hands-on approach to doing business and his determination to ensure the brand stays true to its founding edicts.

Under his leadership and guidance, Africana Couture has transformed into more than just a fashion label selling men’s clothing. it is now widely viewed as a lifestyle and aspirational brand that curates one of the most exciting versions of the African experience- one of luxury, minimalist beauty and consistent excellence.

Abidjan today, Tomorrow the world (After Abidjan, What Is Next?) (https://bit.ly/3C5Bhnn)

Following the launch of African X in Abidjan, plans are underway to replicate the success of Africana’s private tailoring business model in Dakar, Senegal, the style capital of French West Africa, and an even more audacious campaign to plant seeds in the original concrete jungle, New York City by the end of the year.

The proliferation of the brand into New York City is strategic, as the Big Apple is not only an important fashion capital, but is also a nexus for global commerce. It therefore makes sense to first setup shop here and then spread its tendrils across the Americas, Europe and eventually Asia.

Africana beyond fashion (https://bit.ly/3C3fb4H)

Over the course of the last decade, Africana has metamorphosed into an industry leader, credited with making definitive contributions to the African fashion ecosphere such as creating the first-ever African measurement template which takes into consideration, factors that are uniquely African in nature which were largely overlooked by the dimensions recommended by western fashion industry.

In its role as an industry gatekeeper, Africana is a standard against which other brands can measure progress and a beacon providing a guiding light to newcomers who seek direction.

In addition to these bold strides in the fashion industry, Africana has pivoted and branched into other economic sectors including Fin-Tech, with its foray into Blockchain technology and is making moves in real estate with its plan to launch Africana Smart HQ.

On the philanthropic/social awareness front, the brand also manages to combine industrial finesse with corporate responsibility with moves such as; ensuring it remains an equal opportunity employer, creating a fund dedicated to catering to the welfare of needy women and children and ensuring that the stringent Covid-19 rules are adhered to in all its dealings.

There is also Africana H2O, a brand of bottled water available in a handful of locations across the continent which exists to reiterate the importance of access to safe drinking water for everyone.

In conclusion

Africa is experiencing a renaissance which has mostly been championed by the creative industry within the continent. This afrocentric wave has increased the love for, and influence of most things afroculture. The world is paying attention and more people are looking to Africa; no longer just a destination for pity and charity, but as a veritable source of inspiration and ideas.

This paradigm shift is one that comes with far-reaching attendant benefits and with ambassadors such as Charles Oronsaye (https://bit.ly/3UuqRom) and his band of merry innovators at Africana Couture (https://bit.ly/3R5SBwH) leading this new movement, we can rest assured that the African story is getting a happy and beautiful ending.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AFRICANA COUTURE.

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Nigeria’s Upstream Reform Program Captures 40% of Africa’s Final Investment Decision (FID) Activity After a Decade on the Margins

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May 8, 2026

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A government three-year review documents how executive action under President Tinubu reversed a decade of upstream decline

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Nigeria has gone from capturing 4% of Africa’s upstream final investment decisions (FIDs) to commanding 40% in two years, according to Nigeria’s Energy Sector Reforms 2023-2026: A Three-Year Review, published by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and spearheaded by Special Adviser Olu Verheijen. The $50 billion project pipeline now in development beyond 2026 points to sustained capital commitment at a scale not seen in the Nigerian upstream for at least a decade.

 

Between 2014 and 2023, Nigeria was among the continent’s weakest performers for upstream FIDs despite holding 37.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the second-largest endowment in Africa. Algeria captured 44% of African upstream FIDs during that period, Angola held 26%, while Nigeria trailed Mozambique, Ghana, Senegal and Namibia. In the third quarter of 2022, crude production briefly dropped below one million barrels per day, as years of underinvestment, pipeline vandalism and regulatory ambiguity compounded each other. However, reforms instituted by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu have dramatically turned this trend around. Through deliberate and coordinated steps, the government has reset the trajectory.

Addressing Fiscal Terms, Regulatory Scope and Contracting Speed

President Bola Tinubu’s administration moved simultaneously on fiscal terms and regulatory architecture. Policy directives in 2023 clarified the boundary of jurisdiction between the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), resolving an ambiguity that had complicated project sanctioning. Presidential Directive 40 introduced targeted tax incentives, and a separate Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Production in 2024 was designed to draw international oil companies (IOCs) back into capital-intensive, long-cycle deepwater projects. The VAT Modification Order 2024 and Upstream Cost Efficiency Order 2025 addressed the cost structures that had rendered marginal projects uneconomic. NNPCL contracting timelines were compressed from 36 months to a maximum of six months.

Four Divestments Transferred Onshore Control to Indigenous Operators

In parallel, the administration deployed targeted security directives and accelerated ministerial consents for four IOC asset transfers. Renaissance acquired Shell’s onshore portfolio. Seplat Energy completed its acquisition of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian upstream interests. Oando took over from Agip, and Chappal acquired Equinor’s local assets. The four transactions totaled approximately $4 billion. The transfer of onshore and shallow-water blocks to indigenous operators contributed directly to production recovery. Output rose by approximately 400,000 barrels per day between 2023 and 2025 to reach 1.6 million barrels per day, the highest onshore production level in 20 years.

When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds

Signed Projects Total $10 Billion, With a $50 Billion Pipeline Beyond

The reforms produced a concrete FID response from Shell and TotalEnergies. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) sanctioned the $5 billion Bonga North deepwater development in December 2024 and committed a further $2 billion to the HI Non-Associated Gas (NAG) project. TotalEnergies and NNPCL took a joint FID on the $550 million Ubeta gas field development in June 2024.

Together those three commitments account for more than $10 billion in signed investment after a decade of near-zero sanctioning activity. The pipeline beyond 2026 spans a further $50 billion across 11 projects including Bonga South West, Owowo, Usan and Erha. Nigeria approved 28 field development plans valued at $18.2 billion in 2025 alone, targeting an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of reserves.

“When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Nigeria has done both, and the FID numbers are concrete proof.”

The Counterfactual Illustrates How Much Was at Stake

The presentation includes a no-reform projection that puts the gains in context. Without intervention, total crude and condensate production was on track to fall from 1.371 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022 to 579,000 by 2030. Under the reform trajectory, output reached 1.77 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, with a stated government target of 3 million barrels per day. Export gas utilization rose 39% over the same period, while domestic utilization grew by 7%.

The durability of these gains will be tested by two factors: whether the institutional architecture put in place under the Tinubu administration holds over the long term, and whether the deepwater commitments signed in 2024 and 2025 advance to execution on schedule. The project pipeline is large enough that partial delivery would still represent a generational shift in Nigeria’s upstream output profile.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Angola Strengthens Global Investment Drive Across Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources

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May 8, 2026

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With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –At a defining moment in Angola’s economic transformation, the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) (https://CMAGAfrica.com), together with the Government of Angola and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of the Republic of Angola (MIREMPET), will convene global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders in London for the Angola Oil, Gas & Mining Investment Conference on 14 May 2026.

 

More than a conference, this gathering represents a strategic international engagement at a time when Angola is actively reshaping its economic future and positioning itself as one of Africa’s most compelling destinations for long-term investment in natural resources, infrastructure, and industrial development.

With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership. The country’s leadership is sending a clear message to global markets: Angola is open for investment and ready to build transformational partnerships that support sustainable growth and economic diversification.

This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future

The event will be headlined by H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister for Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, whose leadership since 2017 has been central to advancing Angola’s mineral and hydrocarbons agenda. Under his stewardship, Angola has accelerated institutional reform, strengthened governance frameworks, promoted private sector participation, and prioritised sustainable resource development.

As global demand intensifies for critical minerals, energy security, and resilient supply chains, Angola is uniquely positioned to become a strategic partner to international investors and industrial economies. The country’s vast untapped mineral wealth, significant oil and gas reserves, expanding infrastructure ambitions, and commitment to economic diversification present a rare investment window for global stakeholders.

Speaking ahead of the event, Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO of the Critical Minerals Africa Group said:

“Angola stands at a pivotal point in its national development. The reforms taking place across the country’s extractive sectors are creating unprecedented opportunities for responsible international investment and strategic partnership. This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future as a globally competitive investment destination. We believe this moment represents one of the most important opportunities for international partners to engage with Angola’s leadership and participate in the country’s next chapter of economic transformation.”

The event is expected to attract a distinguished international audience, including sovereign representatives, institutional investors, mining and energy executives, infrastructure developers, development finance institutions, and strategic partners seeking direct engagement with Angola’s leadership.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG).

 

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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Successfully Concludes Private Sector Roadshow in Baku

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May 8, 2026

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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

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) affiliates (www.IsDB.org) – namely the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) – in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum (THIQAH), organized the “IsDB Group Private Sector Roadshow” in Baku, Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO).

 

The high-profile event which took place on Thursday, 7th 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.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

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