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Cameroon: African Development Bank provides €63 million loan to improve entrepreneurship and industrial skills

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Cameroon

The Bank’s funding is motivated by the need to support Cameroon’s strategic efforts to reduce the shortage of skilled labor in priority sectors

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, July 15, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a €63.09 million loan to Cameroon to promote entrepreneurship and improve skills to match industry needs.

Multinational partners, the private sector and the Cameroonian government will contribute approximately €2 million to the project cost, estimated at €64.93 million.

Covering five of Cameroon’s regions — Centre, Littoral, South, Southwest, and Far North — the project will improve skills and encourage entrepreneurship and youth and female employment in construction, transport, energy, agro-industry, ICT, and the green economy. Specifically, the project will directly strengthen 12 training centers and nine public and private entrepreneurship support facilities.

A lack of skilled human resources in Cameroon threatens the country’s industrialization process and the development of its economic growth. The project aims to get the private sector in Cameroon – in tandem with the government – involved in key structural measures: building technical and vocational training infrastructure and strengthening the capacity of stakeholders and the education system.

The project will benefit 7,350 young people in apprenticeships by improving training courses to meet the job market’s needs

The private sector will contribute through three levers: the delegated management of vocational training centers, the establishment of a Vocational Training Development Fund and the funding of private initiatives backed by the Youth Project Development Support Mechanism, and the creation of a network of business incubators operating within promising sectors.

This should result in a greater quality of learning properly suited to the job market. It will promote self-employment and professional integration for young people, especially in the targeted growth sectors, and strengthen the institutional capacities of technical and professional stakeholders.

Two of the five regions in the project area have been affected by conflict: the Southwest (Anglophone Crisis) and the Far North (Boko Haram terrorist attacks). The project will help to improve the access that young people and women have to employment and better-paid activities. This will reduce the potential appeal of terrorist movements and build peace, thereby improving living conditions and economic growth in Cameroon.

The project will benefit 7,350 young people in apprenticeships by improving training courses to meet the job market’s needs, and 1,225 young entrepreneurs or project leaders in the five regions, who will be enrolled in an incubation program until they start their businesses.

The project will also significantly impact Cameroon’s socio-economic development. It could generate 28,000 additional jobs by 2050 (an average of 1,120 per year between 2027 and 2050).

The Bank’s funding is motivated by the need to support Cameroon’s strategic efforts to reduce the shortage of skilled labor in priority sectors.

The project aligns with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (NDS30) and two priority areas of the Bank’s 2023-2028 Country Strategy Paper for Cameroon: developing infrastructure to promote the agro-industrial sector and strengthening human capital and governance to improve the institutional and business framework. It also aligns with one of the Bank’s “High 5” strategic priorities – improving the quality of life for the people of Africa – and its new Ten-Year Strategy for 2023-2032, which is being finalized.

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

Business

South Africa’s Government-Business Partnership Opens New Mining Investment Opportunities Ahead of African Mining Week (AMW) 2026

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Etu Energias

African Mining Week 2026 will connect key decision-makers across South Africa’s mining sector with global investors to forge new and strengthen existing public-private investment partnerships

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 1, 2026/APO Group/ —South Africa is stepping up efforts to attract investment into its mining sector, with President Cyril Ramaphosa launching Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership, a public-private initiative designed to accelerate economic growth, investment and job creation. Mining has been identified as a key pillar of the new phase, alongside energy, transport and logistics, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture.
 




 

The initiative targets GDP growth of more than 3% and the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030, with the mining sector positioned to play a central role in achieving those objectives.

 

Within mining, Phase 3 targets R50 billion in capital expenditure by February 2028 and the rollout of South Africa’s national mining cadastre system by March 2027. The digital platform is expected to streamline mining-rights applications and help address administrative and project-implementation bottlenecks, supporting efforts to attract new investment and improve the sector’s contribution to economic growth.

 

Mining currently contributes approximately 6% of South Africa’s GDP and supports around 470,000 direct jobs, with each mining job supporting an estimated five to 10 dependents. The urgency of accelerating investment was underscored by President Ramaphosa, who said the country’s current growth rate remains insufficient to meaningfully expand employment, with 8.5 million people unemployed and roughly 300,000 new job-seekers entering the labor force each year.

 

Phase 3 forms part of a broader national ambition to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock South Africa’s critical minerals potential. The country holds approximately 80% of the world’s platinum group metals and ranks as the world’s largest producer of chrome and manganese, creating significant opportunities for investors across exploration, mining, processing and related infrastructure. South Africa is also seeking to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in iron ore potential, further expanding the pipeline of opportunities for international and domestic capital.

 

Against this backdrop, African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 – the Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa – will bring together global investors, financiers, mining companies and government decision-makers in Cape Town from October 14–16. The event comes at a critical juncture as South Africa seeks to translate its vast mineral endowment into new investment, production, infrastructure and jobs while improving the regulatory environment needed to support long-term project development.

 

AMW 2026 will feature senior figures from across South Africa’s mining and investment ecosystem, including Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Joel Mohai, Rand Refinery CEO Dean Subramanian, Transnet Freight Rail CEO Russell Baatjies, Gold Fields Executive Vice President: South Africa Benford Mokoatle, Minerals Council of South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane, Standard Bank Managing Principal and Coverage Head for Resources & Energy Shirley Webber, and Executive Head for Energy, Infrastructure and Mining, Business and Commercial Banking Deerosh Maharaj, among other industry leaders.

 

Through high-level discussions, project showcases and networking sessions, AMW 2026 will examine South Africa’s evolving regulatory environment, expanding project pipeline and investment opportunities across the mining value chain. The conference will provide a platform for investors and industry stakeholders to explore how public-private partnerships, domestic capital and international investment can accelerate the next phase of South Africa’s mining growth.

 

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

 




 

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Energy

Halliburton Repositions for Venezuela’s Upstream Revival at Venezuela Energy Week 2027

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Etu Energias

Halliburton will join Venezuela Energy Week as a Platinum Sponsor as international operators accelerate efforts to restore production, reactivate drilling capacity and rebuild the oilfield services ecosystem

CARACAS, Venezuela, August 27, 2026/APO Group/ –Halliburton has joined Venezuela Energy Week 2027 as a Platinum Sponsor, bringing one of the world’s leading oilfield services companies into a market where international operators are moving to restore production and expand upstream activity. Taking place February 22–25 in Caracas, Venezuela Energy Week comes as a new investment cycle is creating fresh demand for drilling, well services, reservoir evaluation and production technologies.
 




 

Halliburton has already begun repositioning its Venezuelan operations for the changing market. In April, Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Miller said the company was discussing commercial terms with customers and had visited its Venezuelan facilities, which he said were in better condition than expected. In July, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered the restart of Halliburton’s operations and the return of previously seized assets, removing a significant legal obstacle to the company’s reactivation. Halliburton has since posted new positions in Venezuela, including roles in Maturín covering logging and perforating maintenance and supply-chain procurement, as well as a technical sales position in Zulia.

The timing reflects growing demand for oilfield services as Venezuela moves to reactivate mature fields, expand drilling and bring new investment into production. Halliburton’s capabilities span the full well lifecycle, including drilling, formation evaluation, well construction, completion and production, with services such as well intervention, cementing and stimulation increasingly important as operators work to restore aging wells and infrastructure. As new investment moves from agreements into field activity, Halliburton is positioned to provide the technical expertise and equipment required to translate Venezuela’s resource potential into additional production.

The investment environment is also changing. Venezuela’s January 2026 reform of the Organic Hydrocarbons Law opened new avenues for private participation in primary hydrocarbons activities, including operating and production contracts under which private companies can assume technical, operational and financial management. Subsequent regulations issued in July established the framework for royalties and the integrated hydrocarbons tax, while oil companies have been working to migrate existing agreements into the new regime.

This evolving framework is creating an increasingly important role for international oilfield service companies capable of supplying technology, equipment and technical expertise at scale. Halliburton’s renewed engagement comes as Venezuela moves from regulatory reform and investment agreements toward the practical work of drilling wells, restoring production and expanding field capacity.

At Venezuela Energy Week 2027, Halliburton will bring its renewed Venezuelan presence into discussions on the practical requirements of production growth, from drilling and well construction to completion and intervention. Its Platinum Sponsorship will place the company at the center of conversations around how Venezuela can rebuild oilfield capacity and translate new investment into additional barrels.

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

 




 

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Energy

Welligence Joins Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 as Associate Sponsor as Angola Enters New Production Cycle

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Etu Energias

As gas commercialization, deepwater developments and a shifting exploration landscape reshape Angola’s upstream sector, Welligence will bring its market intelligence expertise to the Angola Oil & Gas 2026 Conference and Exhibition

LUANDA, Angola, August 27, 2026/APO Group/ –Angola’s upstream industry is entering a new investment cycle, with gas commercialization, deepwater development, renewed exploration activity and an expanding independent operator base creating new opportunities across the market. Against this backdrop, energy intelligence firm Welligence has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition as an Associate Sponsor.
 




 

Welligence provides upstream intelligence covering assets, reserves, production, economics, mergers and acquisitions and emerging investment opportunities, combining analyst expertise with data and AI-driven analytics. Its platform includes more than 4,000 asset-level reports and a database covering 40,000 M&A transactions, supporting companies evaluating upstream markets and investment decisions.

Angola represents an increasingly dynamic market for this type of intelligence. Welligence has identified the country’s upstream sector as entering a new phase of growth and repositioning, supported by gas developments, new oil projects, renewed exploration and rising activity among independent operators.

On the gas front, the start of Angola’s first non-associated gas project, led by the New Gas Consortium, is paving the way for increased feedstock supply to Angola LNG. Meanwhile, the country’s landmark dedicated gas discovery at Block 1/14 in 2025 has strengthened the role of gas commercialization within Angola’s broader upstream strategy.

At the same time, new oil developments are supporting production growth, although Welligence highlights the continued need for greenfield investment as mature assets decline. Recent milestones include the start-up of the Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 projects in 2025, the commissioning of the Agogo FPSO last August and continued progress at the Kaminho project, which is expected to begin production in 2028.

The operator landscape is also evolving. Welligence has highlighted renewed exploration activity by international majors alongside growing participation from independent companies, particularly as Angola’s onshore sector opens and operators seek to reactivate mature assets and build new portfolios.

Recent transactions reinforce this trend. Equinor entered TotalEnergies’ Block 17 in June 2026, while Afentra expanded its onshore footprint through operatorship of KON 5. Woodside Energy’s three-block deal signed in May further underscored growing confidence in Angola’s frontier opportunities, while Etu Energias strengthened its position through acquisitions in Blocks 14 and 14K.

These shifts are increasing the importance of reliable market intelligence as companies assess acreage, transactions, project economics and production potential. Welligence’s participation at AOG 2026 comes at a time when investors and operators are seeking greater visibility into the opportunities shaping Angola’s next phase of upstream growth.

As Associate Sponsor, Welligence will contribute an analytical perspective to discussions at AOG 2026, where industry leaders will examine the investments, partnerships and strategies driving Angola’s energy sector forward. With new entrants entering the market and established operators advancing major developments and exploration programs, data-driven insights will remain critical to guiding future investment decisions.

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

 




 

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