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Annual Meetings 2025: African private-sector players and African Development Bank officials discuss business opportunities

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10 months ago

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Bank

The Bank provided updated information on its procurement plan and contractual policies, as well as on procedures for accessing business opportunities for companies or projects

 

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 2, 2025/APO Group/ –On the fourth day of the African Development Bank Group’s (www.AfDB.org) Annual Meetings in Abidjan (http://apo-opa.co/3ZcPGZZ), a seminar on business opportunities with the Group brought together private-sector players from 40 African countries and led to constructive exchanges with Bank officials.

“Africa will not develop without a robust private sector. This seminar should give you a better understanding of how the Bank operates and how to work with us,” Gauthier Boulard, Senior Director of Resource Mobilization and Partners at the African Development Bank, told participants.

During the seminar, the Bank provided updated information on its procurement plan and contractual policies, as well as on procedures for accessing business opportunities for companies or projects. Information was also shared on procurement rules, integrity and corruption.

Health is a key sector that the Bank intends to support and is already involved in

“With regard to our Ten-Year Strategy 2024-2033 (http://apo-opa.co/4jANgMb), we expect to have to finance more transformative projects, i.e. projects that bring about change in the market in which they take place…. We are ready to support the private sector,” said Ronald Rateiwa, Senior Strategy, Policy and Infrastructure Officer at the African Development Bank.

Cheikh Ibra Faye, Director of Faye Groupe Services, a company active in Senegal, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, commented: “I have just learned important information that I’ve been looking for for a year. I have a plan to replace West Africa’s urban vehicle fleet with vehicles powered by renewable energy, and I’d like to know what support is available from the African Development Bank,” he said.

Aude Apetey-Kacou, Manager of Private Sector Operations for West Africa at the Bank, responded: “The Bank finances urban transport. So the fleet project meets one of our criteria. We would then need to discuss the project in a different setting, to find out more about its structure, the current state of financing and the progress of the studies already carried out, so that we can make a decision.”

The creation of characteristically African social media, setting up biometric laboratories to combat cervical cancer, satellite imagery and the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises were just some of the projects brought to the attention of the Bank’s management by private-sector players.

“Health is a key sector that the Bank intends to support and is already involved in. There are other sectors that are just as important, and we’ll have the opportunity to talk about them again,” confirmed Boris Honkpehedji, Senior Manager of Private Sector Operations at the African Development Bank.

As of 31 December 2024, the African Development Bank Group’s investment portfolio had devoted 46% of its financing to the financial sector, 16% to energy, 15% to industry, 9% to transport, 9% to agriculture and social affairs, and 5% to multi-sector projects.

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

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Learning curves: Addressing the skills shortage in African mining

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19 hours ago

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March 23, 2026

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mining

The discussion will unpack key factors contributing to the skills shortage and examine how stronger collaboration between mining companies, universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions can help bridge the gap

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 23, 2026/APO Group/ –The African mining industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements, increasing sustainability demands, and rising global demand for critical minerals. However, a widening skills gap continues to pose a significant challenge to the sector’s growth and long-term competitiveness.

 

To address this pressing issue, an upcoming webinar hosted by Vuka group’s Mining Review Africa will bring together industry experts to explore practical solutions for building a skilled and future-ready mining workforce across the continent.

The discussion will unpack key factors contributing to the skills shortage and examine how stronger collaboration between mining companies, universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions can help bridge the gap. It will also consider how digitalisation and automation are reshaping workforce requirements, and what this means for the next generation of mining professionals.

Participants can expect insights on:

  • Key causes of the mining skills shortage across Africa
  • Strengthening collaboration between industry, universities, and TVET institutions
  • The impact of digitalisation and automation on workforce requirements
  • Strategies for developing the next generation of mining professionals
  • Practical solutions for upskilling and workforce development
  • How regional collaboration can develop a skilled workforce
  • Preventing the brain drain in African mining as skilled workers seek greener pastures

 

Event details:
Date: 7 May 2026
Time: 14:00 (SAST)

To register for the webinar, visit: https://apo-opa.co/4brnadB

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

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Business

Mining Review Africa Introduces French and Portuguese Website Translation

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19 hours ago

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March 23, 2026

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vukagroup

By enabling multilingual access, Mining Review Africa aims to better serve its diverse readership, including industry professionals, policymakers and investors who rely on timely mining news and insights

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 20, 2026/APO Group/ –VUKA Group’s (https://WeAreVUKA.com/) Mining Review Africa has introduced French and Portuguese translations on its website, responding to growing demand from readers across the continent.

 

This allows users to access content in multiple languages, improving accessibility for audiences in regions where English is not widely used.

We recognise that language should not be a barrier to information, especially in a sector that plays such a critical role in the continent’s economic growth

The move follows insights gathered by VUKA Group during its flagship mining events held across Africa, including DRC Mining Week, Angola International Mining Conference and Nigeria Mining Week The organisers noted a clear need for more inclusive communication, particularly in countries where French and Portuguese are dominant languages in business and industry engagement.

By enabling multilingual access, Mining Review Africa aims to better serve its diverse readership, including industry professionals, policymakers and investors who rely on timely mining news and insights.

“This development is part of our ongoing commitment to making mining content more accessible across Africa,” Mining Review Africa’s Editor-In-Chief, Gerard Peter said. “We recognise that language should not be a barrier to information, especially in a sector that plays such a critical role in the continent’s economic growth.”

The translation feature is now live and available to all users on the Mining Review Africa website.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

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Business

Qianhai Launches OPC Mavericks Program to Empower Global AI Solopreneurs

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19 hours ago

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March 23, 2026

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QianHai

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 March 2026 – On March 18, Qianhai, a flagship hub for institutional opening-up, high-end services and technological innovation in southern China, officially opened the application portal for the Qianhai OPC (One-Person Company) International Community and launched its global OPC Mavericks Program. Adhering to the philosophy of “All Innovation, Zero Distraction”, the initiative aims to build the world’s leading ecosystem for AI-driven one-person companies.

Widely recognized as a pioneering zone for China’s institutional opening-up and a key innovation node in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Qianhai leads the country in piloting cross-border cooperation, regulatory innovation and business-friendly reforms. It has grown into a highland for advanced services, tech research and development, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, connecting global talents, capital and technologies with the massive market of the Greater Bay Area.

The OPC Mavericks Program targets six elite groups: academic pioneers, tech veterans, global AI competition winners, elite prodigies, influential open-source contributors, and outstanding graduates in AI and computer science. Eligible projects should leverage generative AI, large language models, AI agents and automation to build sustainable closed-loop businesses.

As the world’s first vertical accelerator dedicated to OPCs, the community provides a tailor-made AI launchpad with the SENSE ecosystem and the “Eight Zeros” guarantee to remove startup barriers: supported office space up to 200㎡ for two years, talent housing up to 50㎡ per person, annual free computing power up to 50P, free LLM trials, Greater Bay Area market access, collateral-free loans, high-risk-tolerance seed funding, annual talent rewards up to 600,000 RMB, and one-stop services for visas, finance, IP, taxation and global internet access.

To help global innovators experience opportunities in the region, Qianhai offers the Shenzhen-Hong Kong 72-Hour Experience Pass, which was officially launched in 2025. This pass provides streamlined entry arrangements, guided visits to tech platforms, enterprises and research institutions in both cities, and on-site insights into the OPC entrepreneurship environment. It serves as a key channel for global talents to fully explore cooperation and development prospects in the Greater Bay Area.

The program supports AI solopreneurs to turn ideas into scalable businesses. Qualified applicants can submit core founder resumes and project pitch decks to inqianhai@qhidg.com to join the program and embrace new opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.

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