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Canon Central & North Africa Hosts Annual Dealer Conference in Dubai to Drive Innovation and Customer Experience

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Canon

The event provided dealers with valuable market insights & trends, a strategic outlook of the African business model, and Canon leadership’s vision for the coming years

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 15, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The conference, themed “ICE,” highlighted Canon’s innovations, customer relationships, and an immersive imaging experience; Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) recognized top-performing partners in five categories for B2B and B2C businesses at the conference.

Canon, a global leader in imaging solutions, successfully hosted its annual dealer conference at Hilton Habtoor City in Dubai, bringing together 144 channel partners, system integrators, industry verticals and value-added resellers from across Africa. The conference, themed “ICE: Innovation, Customer, and Experience,” focused on showcasing Canon’s latest innovations, strengthening relationships with customers, and providing attendees with an immersive experience of the entire Canon’s imaging ecosystem.

Aligned with Canon’s strategy of getting closer to its customers, the dealer conference served as a platform to foster stronger partnerships and explore new opportunities. The event provided dealers with valuable market insights & trends, a strategic outlook of the African business model, and Canon leadership’s vision for the coming years. The main aim of this comprehensive approach was to empower dealers to gain key insights and tailor their business strategies to the unique needs of the Africa’s imaging market. The event also highlighted Canon’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet the diverse needs of businesses and consumers in Africa.

To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of Canon’s offerings, the conference featured dedicated zones showcasing a wide range of products and solutions.

Business-To-Consumer Zones

We are committed to fostering strong partnerships and delivering exceptional experiences to our customers, empowering them to achieve their goals and unlock new opportunities

  • Content Creator Zone: This zone showcased Canon’s EOS R50, PowerShot V10, and EOS R8 cameras, designed to empower content creators, including photographers, videographers and social media influencers with exceptional image and video quality. Attendees learned how these cameras, paired with the Camera Connect app, streamline content transfer, and enhance workflow efficiency. Additionally, the zone highlighted Canon Academy Video, an immersive virtual online film school which is a valuable resource for content creators seeking to improve their skills on production stages, equipment, techniques and much more.
  • EOS R System Zone: This exclusive zone featured the newly launched EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1 cameras, designed for professional photographers and videographers. Dealers had the opportunity to experience these cutting-edge products firsthand and witness their capabilities through live demonstrations showcasing their potential applications in various creative fields, such as sports, portrait photography, wildlife photography, documentary filmmaking, and more.
  • Cinema Zone: This zone highlighted Canon’s EOS R Cinema range of cameras and lenses, featuring the newly launched EOS C400 and EOS C80 models. Dealers had the opportunity to explore these professional-grade cameras and learn about their advanced features and capabilities for filmmaking and video production. Engineered to meet the high standards of cinematographers, Canon Cinema lenses offer exceptional optical performance, robust build quality, and versatility to meet the exacting requirements of film productions.
  • Home Zone: This zone focused on Canon’s consumer printing solutions, featuring the Maxify range and its banner printing capabilities. Attendees also explored the G-series printer range and learned about the benefits of i-Sensys Cloud connectivity (https://apo-opa.co/406o0Y6) including seamless hybrid working, agile collaboration, and easy printing and scanning from/to popular cloud storage platforms. The zone also showcased the Canon digital guide and Canon Print Hub (https://apo-opa.co/4eG2fCX) which is the first point of call to find a fountain of knowledge to make the most from your Canon printer (https://apo-opa.co/4gYImIC).
  • Education Zone: This zone highlighted Canon’s World of Education (https://apo-opa.co/4eG2gH1) which displayed the brand’s commitment to education and sustainability. Attendees learned about Canon’s various education programs and how they empower young African youth through technology and knowledge.

Rashad Ghani, B2C Business Unit Director mentioned: “Our annual dealer conference in Dubai was a resounding success, providing an excellent opportunity to connect with our valued partners across Africa. By showcasing our latest innovations and highlighting the benefits of our products, we aim to empower our partners to achieve their goals and business objectives. I would also like to congratulate the dealers who have won awards for their remarkable contributions to Canon’s success. We are committed to fostering strong partnerships and delivering exceptional experiences to our customers, empowering them to achieve their goals and unlock new opportunities. “

Business-To-Business Zones

  • B2B Solutions for Remote Working: Revised Paragraph: This zone highlighted Canon’s document and information management solutions (DIMS) and key products tailored to support remote workforces and boost productivity. Among the featured offerings were the laser printers i-SENSYS MF655Cdw and i-SENSYS MF463dw, as well as the inkjet printers GX2040 and GX7040. These products & solutions, designed to cater to business-to-business needs, offer reliable printing solutions for remote workers, ensuring efficient document management and seamless collaboration.
  • SMBs: This zone highlighted Canon’s solutions designed for small and medium-sized businesses, including printers, scanners, and software aimed at streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. Featured products included the Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX C5800 Series, advanced multifunction devices that accelerate document management and processing, and the Canon imagePROGRAF TM-350/355 MFP Lm36, a sustainable 36-inch multifunction printer renowned for its quiet operation, high productivity, intuitive interface, professional image quality, and integrated scanning capabilities. The integration of uniFLOW software further empowers businesses by automating workflows, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring secure document handling.
  • Public, Corporate Bodies: This zone highlighted Canon’s solutions designed for government agencies and large corporations, focusing on document management, security, and workflow optimization. Featured products included the Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX 8900 Series, smart and secure A3 monochrome multifunction devices offering professional-quality output and a wide range of finishing options. The Canon imagePROGRAF TX-4200, a versatile 44-inch large format printer, ensures advanced productivity and reliable quality. Additionally, the document scanners integrated with Scan 2x technology provide efficient and secure document capture.
  • Commercial & In-House printing:  This zone showcased Canon’s solutions tailored for commercial and in-house printing, catering to print houses, print solution providers, print centers and organizations seeking in-house printing capabilities. The product featured included Canon imagePRESS V900 Series, which is a range of compact and reliable digital printing presses designed to meet the demanding requirements of print service providers and digital commercial environments. With its exceptional image quality, high productivity, and versatile finishing options, the imagePRESS V900 Series empowers businesses to deliver professional-grade printed materials efficiently and cost-effectively.

Amine Djouahra, B2B Business Unit Director said: “The dealer conference provided a valuable platform to showcase our comprehensive range of products, from scanners to large format printers and production print equipments, offering complete input-to-output solutions tailored to the diverse needs of small businesses, medium-sized enterprises, corporations, and print providers. By demonstrating how our technology can enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and drive business growth, we aim to strengthen our partnerships and position Canon as the preferred choice for businesses across Africa. I would like to commend all our partners who have been recognized with awards for their outstanding achievements. Their dedication and hard work have contributed significantly to Canon’s success.”

To celebrate the conference, Canon hosted a gala dinner and an awards ceremony to recognize and reward its top-performing partners. The awards were presented in five categories for both B2B and B2C businesses, acknowledging their outstanding contributions to Canon’s success.

By hosting this exclusive event, Canon has reinforced its position as a leading imaging solutions provider in Africa and reaffirmed its dedication to innovation, customer satisfaction, and exceptional experiences.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

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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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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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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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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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