Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

Amini, Foxconn and Bull Join Forces to Advance Sovereign Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Global South

Published

on

Amini

Partnership establishes a new model for locally anchored AI compute capacity, designed for the regulatory, operational, and economic conditions of emerging markets

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Amini (https://www.Amini.ai/), a sovereign AI infrastructure company, today announced a strategic partnership alongside Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, and Bull, a global leader in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to close the sovereign compute gap across Africa and the Global South, giving governments, telecom operators, financial institutions, and energy companies direct access to industrial-grade AI data centre infrastructure they can acquire, install, and operate locally. The partnership marks Foxconn’s first dedicated infrastructure initiative focused on African markets and establishes Amini as its strategic partner across Africa and other emerging economies.

 

Amini operates one of Africa’s leading platforms for locally anchored compute and data capacity, working across multiple markets with governments and enterprises to strengthen domestic AI infrastructure.

Foxconn is the world’s largest AI server provider with its technology-intensive hardware underpinning the global AI economy, including advanced computing systems, server architecture, and modular data centre technologies used by the world’s leading firms. Through the partnership, these systems are made accessible to African and Global South institutions in configurations designed for local operating conditions and regulatory environments.

The partnership is supported by French-government owned Bull as it  builds on its existing collaboration with Amini to support sovereign AI infrastructure projects. Committed to fostering local ecosystems and regionalized AI, Bull brings additional systems integration capabilities with a longstanding experience covering the full spectrum of high-performance and artificial intelligence, from systems and components to platforms and use cases.

The announcement was made at the Africa Forward Summit, hosted in Nairobi on 11–12 May 2026, a high-level convening of heads of state, business leaders, and global institutions advancing Africa’s strategic position in the digital economy.

Speaking at the opening of the Africa Forward Summit on Monday 11 May, Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France, said: “[…] this partnership between Amini, Bull and Foxconn for me is a perfect example of this common sovereignty story: African, European and Taiwanese companies. All of us have to face this challenge of sovereignty and reducing our dependencies.”

The market opportunity

The partnership arrives at a defining moment for the global digital economy. Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030. Across the Global South, the trillion-dollar demand for AI-enabled services in finance, energy, public administration, and connectivity is materialising faster than the sovereign infrastructure required to serve it. Without locally anchored compute, that demand will be met by external providers, and the economic value it generates will flow outward.

This partnership ensures that Africa and the Global South can acquire, own, and operate AI infrastructure locally, with sovereignty and long-term economic value at its core

Africa’s data centre market is projected to nearly double from USD 3.49 billion in 2024 to USD 6.81 billion by 2030, with installed capacity expected to triple to more than 3,460 megawatts over the same period. The continent’s AI and cloud infrastructure remains concentrated in the hands of a small number of operators. The Amini-Foxconn-Bull partnership signals a shift toward locally anchored, sovereign-aligned AI infrastructure and compute capacity built for African and Global South markets.

The downstream implications are substantial. Locally anchored compute creates skilled employment, strengthens regional technology ecosystems, and retains economic value within domestic markets. Industry estimates place Africa’s AI and data infrastructure value chain at between USD 20 billion and USD 30 billion in revenue by 2030, a figure that compounds significantly when paired with productivity gains across finance, energy, public services, and trade.

Built for African realities: why modular

Traditional hyperscale data centres depend on stable grids, multi-year construction timelines, and capital expenditure profiles that exclude most African and Global South stakeholders.

The modular AI data centre infrastructure provided through the Amini-Foxconn-Bull partnership is engineered for these realities. Systems operate in variable power environments, can be deployed in under 12 months, and scale incrementally with offtake demand. Institutions acquire the capacity they require today and expand over time, in line with usage, and without the cost structure and timeline complexity of conventional builds. Each configuration is designed for full data sovereignty, with data remaining in-country under domestic regulation.

Sovereign capability across the sectors driving African economies

The partnership opens sovereign AI infrastructure to the institutions that anchor national economic activity. Energy and utilities can apply AI to grid optimisation and predictive maintenance. Banks and financial institutions can build risk, credit, and financial inclusion systems independent of external platform dependencies. Telecom operators can run edge AI and network intelligence at scale. In each case, the underlying capability, compute, data, and governance, remains domestically held.

For Amini, the partnership is a structural step toward redistributing how AI capability is built and held globally. “AI is becoming foundational infrastructure for every economy, yet most of the world still lacks the compute capacity required to participate on its own terms,” said Kate Kallot, Founder and CEO of Amini. “This partnership ensures that Africa and the Global South can acquire, own, and operate AI infrastructure locally, with sovereignty and long-term economic value at its core. The trillion-dollar demand for AI services across our markets will be met. The question is whether the infrastructure beneath it is held with us, or for us.”

For Foxconn, the initiative reflects a deliberate expansion into markets where industrial-scale AI infrastructure has historically been absent. “Africa’s participation in the AI economy depends on infrastructure designed for its conditions, not adapted from elsewhere,” said Jesse Chao, Head of AI & Quantum at Foxconn, during the Africa Forward Summit. “This partnership brings Foxconn’s global capabilities into a market model built for sovereign ownership and long-term operational viability.”

For Bull, the collaboration extends a longstanding commitment to sovereign digital capacity in emerging markets. “Africa and more generally the Global South have the potential to emerge as a global-scale AI hub, by continuing to build regional computing capacity and supply chain independence. Bull is proud, through its partnership with Amini and Foxconn, to be a part of this journey, to develop a sovereign AI infrastructure.” said Alexandre Jouys, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, at Bull. “Our joint solution with Amini reflects a shared conviction that durable digital capacity must be built with the institutions it serves, not delivered to them.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amini.

 

Energy

African Mining Week (AMW) Country Focus to Spotlight Liberia’s Iron Ore, Gold and Critical Minerals Prospects

Published

on

Etu Energias

African Mining Week 2026 – taking place from October 14 – 16 in Cape Town – will connect global investors with emerging opportunities within Liberia’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 3, 2026/APO Group/ –As Liberia unlocks its untapped mineral wealth through expanded geomapping and exploration campaigns as well as strategic partnerships, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) – Africa’s Most Influential Mining Conference – will connect global investors and geological technology providers with emerging opportunities across the country.

 

AMW 2026 – taking place on October 14–16 in Cape Town – will feature a dedicated Liberia Country Showcase, providing a platform for government regulators, project developers and international investors to engage on investment and partnership prospects.

The event is timely with Liberia positioning itself as a key supplier of high-grade iron ore amid an anticipated supply deficit of approximately 15 million tons per annum (MTPA) by 2030. The country targets to triple output to nearly 30 Mtpa in 2026. In February 2026, Liberia extended ArcelorMittal’s mineral development agreement for the Tokadeh Mine through 2050, underscoring its commitment to expanding long-term cooperation with international investors to maximize output.

Beyond iron ore, Liberia seeks to unlock its broader critical minerals potential, capitalizing on its estimated 80% of geology that remains unexplored.

Speaking in Cape Town in February 2026, Liberia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Matenokay Tingban emphasized the country’s strategy to unlock its critical minerals potential through exploration across lithium and base metals sectors.

Liberia is also expanding its strategic partnerships to expand industrial-scale gold production. Pasofino Gold strengthened its Liberian footprint through the 2026 acquisition by Mansa Resources: the operator of the Dugbe Gold Project. Meanwhile, Zodiac Gold continues to advance its exploration portfolio in Liberia, supporting the country’s broader mining industrialization strategy.

Liberia’s strategy to expand oil and mining revenues to approximately $4.8 billion in 2026 reflects growing national focus on leveraging extractive industries to drive economic growth while creating investment opportunities for global investors.

Against this backdrop, AMW 2026 will serve as an important platform for Liberian authorities to showcase regulatory reforms and investment incentives designed to attract global capital into the country’s mining sector.

The conference will highlight opportunities spanning Liberia’s entire mining value chain, including geomapping, exploration, production, logistics, mineral processing, trading and mining services.

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

Continue Reading

Energy

Venezuela to Host Its Largest-Ever International Energy Investment Summit

Published

on

Venezuela

Caracas will host Venezuela Energy Week 2026 on 26–29 October, convening U.S. and international investors to advance upstream expansion and energy sector investment, with official support from the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and PDVSA

CARACAS, Venezuela, June 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Venezuela will host its largest-ever international energy investment summit on 26–29 October 2026 in Caracas, bringing together U.S., Venezuelan and international oil companies, investors, financiers and technical service providers to advance near-term investment opportunities across the country’s reopening energy sector.

 

Officially supported by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and national oil company PDVSA, Venezuela Energy Week 2026 is designed to accelerate capital deployment across one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon resource bases.

 

Venezuela holds over 300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves – the largest globally – alongside more than 195 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. With current production at approximately 1–1.1 million barrels per day, the government has set a strategic target to restore output toward 3 million barrels per day through phased investment, field rehabilitation and expanded private sector participation.

 

Recent 2026 hydrocarbons reforms are materially reshaping the commercial framework. These include reduced fiscal burdens, expanded production-sharing mechanisms, strengthened arbitration protections and increased operational control for foreign partners. For international investors, these changes signal a shift toward more internationally aligned contract structures and improved capital recovery visibility.

 

The investment case is underpinned by scale, speed-to-market potential and significant brownfield upside. Venezuela’s producing basins – particularly the Orinoco Oil Belt, Maracaibo Basin and Eastern Venezuela Basin – offer a combination of undeveloped mega-projects and mature assets primed for enhanced recovery. Priority opportunities include large-scale developments across the Orinoco Belt, including Junín, Carabobo and Ayacucho; brownfield rehabilitation in the Maracaibo Basin; reactivation of shut-in wells through new drilling programs; and heavy crude upgrading and blending infrastructure to support export growth.

 

In parallel, underutilized refining capacity and constrained midstream infrastructure are opening near-term investment opportunities across rehabilitation, logistics and export systems. Refining capacity of nearly 1.3 million barrels per day is currently operating at roughly 35% utilization, creating immediate opportunities in refinery rehabilitation, midstream logistics, storage and export terminal expansion.

 

Gas monetization is emerging as a key growth segment, with offshore developments such as the Dragon and Cocuina-Manakin fields positioning Venezuela as a future supplier to regional and global LNG markets. Associated gas capture, processing and transport infrastructure remain underdeveloped, offering additional entry points for technical and financial partners.

 

Overall sector rehabilitation is estimated to require up to $100 billion in investment, with approximately $10 billion annually needed over the next decade to restore production capacity, modernize infrastructure and scale exports.

 

Venezuela Energy Week 2026 will feature dedicated investment tracks focused on upstream technical opportunities, commercial structuring, infrastructure integration and digital optimization, including AI-driven field management and energy systems modernization. The program will also include discussions on workforce development and local participation across the evolving oil and gas sector, supported by dedicated Youth in Energy sessions. This track will spotlight emerging talent, early-career professionals and next-generation leadership across the energy value chain, with a focus on skills development, innovation and cross-generational knowledge transfer.

 

With participation from leading industry bodies, the event will align technical expertise with capital deployment strategies, reinforcing its position as a gateway for U.S. and international investors evaluating market re-entry.

 

The program will conclude on 29 October with curated site visits to key upstream and downstream assets, offering investors direct exposure to operational conditions and project readiness across Venezuela’s core producing regions.

 

As global energy markets recalibrate and supply security remains a strategic priority, Venezuela’s reopening presents a high-impact, large-scale opportunity for investors navigating a complex but increasingly investable environment.

The summit is organized by Energy Capital & Power. For participation opportunities:

 

 

For more information, visit www.VenezuelaEnergyWeek.com.

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

Continue Reading

Business

Canada–Africa Business Conference Preparations Advance Following Canadian Secretary of State’s High-Level Visit to Nigeria

Published

on

Ateau Zola

Dozens of Canadian companies anticipated in Lagos for the 6th Canada–Africa Business Conference, June 24–25, 2026

TORONTO, Canada, June 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Preparations are well underway for the 6th Canada–Africa Business Conference, taking place in Lagos, Nigeria, on June 24–25, 2026, with dozens of Canadian companies already anticipated to participate.

The Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), recently concluded a visit to Nigeria, from May 21 to 22, 2026, where he highlighted the 6th Canada–Africa Business Conference (https://apo-opa.co/3RzYGYi), taking place later this month in Lagos. This flagship conference, led by the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, will convene senior decision-makers from across Canada and Nigeria to unlock new opportunities in trade, investment and large-scale project delivery across the continent.

Garreth Bloor, President of The Canada–Africa Chamber of Business, said the Secretary of State’s recognition (https://apo-opa.co/4uWl5xq) of the conference, during his recent visit to Nigeria, reinforces the role of key private-sector partners.

“I wish to thank Zenith Bank Plc for taking the lead in accelerating Canada–Africa trade and investment as a financial institution of choice for Canadian companies across the continent, as we build the Canada–Africa growth story together in this important next chapter of global growth,” said Bloor.

We look forward to bringing Canadian companies to the conference and engaging with Nigeria’s private and public sectors

The 6th Canada–Africa Business Conference will bring together business leaders, investors, institutional partners, and senior representatives of governments to advance practical opportunities including – but not limited to – trade, investment, financing, infrastructure, retail expansion, technology and energy.

The Chamber said the conference forms part of its broader work to strengthen private-sector-led economic ties between Canada and Africa, supporting trade diversification and deeper commercial engagement with one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.

“Nigeria is Canada’s second-largest merchandise trading partner in Africa and represents an important market as we look to double our non-U.S. exports by 2035. I’m pleased to see so many Canadian businesses take part in the upcoming Canada-Africa Business Conference in Lagos, Nigeria. By fostering increased Canada-Nigeria partnerships in the financial services, infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture, and clean technologies sectors, we are supporting trade diversification, creating well-paying jobs, and driving sustainable economic growth in Canada and across the African continent.” – Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, Canada.

We look forward to bringing Canadian companies to the conference and engaging with Nigeria’s private and public sectors. Canada’s engagement in Nigeria reflects a broader vision for our relationship with Africa, one grounded in the understanding that the next chapter of global growth is being shaped as much in Lagos, Nairobi, and Accra as in London, New York, and Toronto. The centre of gravity of the global economy is shifting, and Canada is ready to help shape that future together.” – Secretary of State for International Development, Honourable Randeep Sarai, Canada.

Zenith Bank Plc is proud to serve as headline sponsor of the 6th Canada–Africa Business Conference in Lagos, an important platform for deepening trade and investment between Canada and Nigeria. As one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, we are committed to supporting Canadian companies seeking to engage with Nigeria and the broader continent, while advancing practical partnerships that contribute to shared growth, innovation, and sustainable prosperity. – Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON – Group Managing Director/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc.

“With over a decade of on-the-ground operations in Nigeria, GardaWorld Security – Africa is delighted to support the 6th Canada-Africa Business Conference in Lagos. This event provides a valuable forum to showcase our experience as a business with Canadian roots while highlighting the strong opportunities presented by Nigeria’s dynamic economy.

Backed by established operations and infrastructure in 13 African countries, GardaWorld Security – Africa is a global champion in sophisticated, tailored security services and technology solutions. We remain firmly committed in supporting businesses and other organizations to thrive in Nigeria and across the continent.” – Mike Gibson, Managing Director – Angola, DRC, Mozambique & Nigeria, GardaWorld Security – Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

Continue Reading

Trending