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Countdown to Africa Investment Forum Market Days 2023

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The Africa Investment Forum is pivotal for attracting domestic and foreign direct investment to Africa

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 24, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The Africa Investment Forum (AIF) 2023 Market Days is less than three weeks away. 

From 8-10 November, serious investors will gather at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco to participate in Africa’s premier investment marketplace. The focus this year will be on “Unlocking Africa’s Value Chains.”

The Africa Investment Forum is pivotal for attracting domestic and foreign direct investment to Africa. This multi-stakeholder, multidisciplinary platform advances projects to bankable stages, raises capital and accelerates the financial closure of investment transactions.

President Emeritus and Group Managing Director of the Trade and Development Bank Admassu Tadesse describes the Africa Investment Forum Market Days as an action-oriented gathering that focuses on getting things done.

At the 2022 event in Abidjan, Tadesse said that before AIF’s inception in 2018, “we were almost at a level of paralysis by analysis” in terms of talk about Africa’s investment needs and challenges.” He added: “But when Dr Adesina [the African Development Bank president] talked about the Africa Investment Forum focusing on business networking, deal processing, and transactions, I said, finally, we have a conference that is less talk and more action with ground-breaking transactional projects; more prospecting to get things to move on the ground.”

“I found the scale and the depth of the participation much, much larger than I expected,” said Ken Shibusawa, CEO of Shibusawa and Co, during the 2022 Market Days (https://apo-opa.info/3ol3sdy). Mr. Shibusawa described his trip to the Africa Investment Forum as well worth the long journey and a good match in terms of interests. “Our mission is to provide impact investment in Africa…we are building on this cooperation,” he said.

He expressed hope the 2023 edition would provide more opportunities for interaction with younger entrepreneurs, “with Africa, with Japan and other countries.”

Mr. Shibusawa, who is also the Vice Chairperson of the Africa Project Team at Keizai Doyukai, announced earlier this year (https://apo-opa.info/46HGC0Y) that a new company, &Capital Inc., was formed in January 2023 to promote Japanese investments in Africa. Keizai Doyukai is a private, non-profit and nonpartisan organization that brings together nearly 1,400 top executives of some 1,000 Japanese corporations.

This year’s event will build on earlier successes to foster productive engagements between the public and private sectors

“I’m here just searching for new investors for our business because we want to develop into Africa and we think that this is the best place to do that, for networking, for new ideas,” said Jacqueline Furtado Carvalho, manager of Cabo Verdean company M&J Tech, who also attended Market Days 2022.

This year’s event will build on earlier successes to foster productive engagements between the public and private sectors.

In addition to prioritising three key focus sectors—renewable energy, agribusiness, and manufacturing—the Africa Investment Forum Market Days boardrooms will feature deals from other sectors, including “disrupters” such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things, women as investment champions; and the creative and sports industries. 

Masai Ujiri, president of the National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise team Toronto Raptors, has made several appearances at the Africa Investment Forum and has urged African governments to invest in sports. At Market Days 2022, he spoke passionately about the success and growth of sports on the African continent. “We should be supporting teams here in Africa. That should be our vision. Sports is the next big thing in Africa,” Ujiri told investors. 

The continent has many characteristics of a powerhouse sports market. Its athletes are world famous across football, basketball, and track-and-field competition. And a growing and increasingly middle-class population offers a potential untapped audience for domestic sport leagues. The Africa Investment Forum’s Sports as a Business Catalyst initiative is working to make this a reality.

During the Market Days in 2022, one of the projects that attracted strong investor interest was the Abidjan-Lagos Highway project. The planned 1081-km long corridor—projected to cost $15.6 billion—will link the two cities via Accra, Lomé and Cotonou, spanning an area that generates 75% of commercial activity in the West Africa region.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is leading the project. To accelerate the mobilisation of financing and other support for the Abidjan-Lagos highway, the ECOWAS Commission held a roundtable (https://apo-opa.info/46HRL1M) with international development finance institutions on 26 September 2023, at the African Development Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan.

The Africa Investment Forum’s founding partners are standing in solidarity with the government and the people of Morocco following the devastating earthquake in early September. The partners are the African Development Bank, Africa50, the Africa Finance Corporation, the Africa Export-Import Bank, the Development Bank for Southern Africa, The European Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Trade and Development Bank.

Previous editions of the Africa Investment Forum Market Days have secured cumulative investment interest of $142.6 billion.

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

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Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

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

 

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Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

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

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

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

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