CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ –Global economic trends – from record-breaking commodity prices to intensifying geopolitical competition for resources – are reshaping the strategic importance of Africa’s mineral wealth. As global countries race to secure supply chains for energy transition metals – which are expected to triple by 2030 – Africa is positioning its 30% share of the world’s critical minerals as a key pillar of economic growth. African governments are modernizing mining codes, developing industrial corridors and investing in mineral processing facilities to support local beneficiation, job creation, workforce development and regional mineral markets.

 

Against this backdrop, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) Conference & Exhibition – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders – has launched the draft program for its 2026 edition {https://apo-opa.co/3NneKLj}. Scheduled to take place October 14–16 in Cape Town, the event provides a platform where policymakers, global investors, project operators, technology providers, academia and mining service companies examine Africa’s mining opportunities, challenges and long-term strategic direction.

Under the theme ‘Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value’, the three-day, multi-track agenda reflects the growing urgency among African markets to strengthen value addition across the mining value chain.

Regional Cooperation and Policy Alignment in Focus

A key feature of the agenda is the Ministerial Forum, where African mining ministers will provide updates on regulatory reforms and policy alignment initiatives aimed at unlocking greater value from the continent’s mineral resources. Discussions will examine how harmonized regulatory frameworks and regional cooperation can accelerate investment flows and strengthen Africa’s position in global mineral supply chains.

The inclusion of regional policy integration reflects a growing continental push to leverage frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance cross-border mineral cooperation and trade.

“Africa’s integration is not only a political objective but a strategic economic vision,” stated Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, in remarks reported by Energy Capital & Power – organizers of AMW – in February 2026. “Our natural resources require coordinated policies. Isolated legal frameworks cannot fully unlock their value. Through integration and initiatives such as the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] Mining Code and the African Mining Vision, we can build a stronger and more competitive mineral economy.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Henry Alake, echoed this emphasis on regional cooperation and beneficiation.

“We are acting to enhance regional integration through frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the Africa Mineral Strategy Group,” he stated. “We must develop mineral corridors that connect resources, infrastructure and markets across the continent. Our goal is not to simply export raw materials, but to develop industrial hubs that create jobs and value across borders.”

Connecting Global Investors with African Opportunities

Strategic roundtables and Country Focus sessions form a key part of the AMW 2026 program, connecting African mining jurisdictions with international partners from the U.S, Europe, the Middle East and China. These sessions will provide African stakeholders with a platform to showcase exploration opportunities and project pipelines across the mining value chain.

Meanwhile, technical workshops and the exhibition floor at AMW 2026 will provide a platform for equipment manufacturers, technology providers and engineering firms to showcase innovations designed to enhance operational performance across mining operations.

By combining high-level policy dialogue with technical expertise and investment matchmaking, AMW 2026 positions itself as a critical marketplace where Africa’s mineral potential converges with global capital, technology and strategic partnerships – helping shape the next phase of growth for the continent’s mining sector.

AMW serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ —

• 7 North African entrepreneurs selected from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt
• 51% of the 2026 cohort are women, all selected purely on merit, without any quota in place
• 3,200 total entrepreneurs selected from 265,000+ applications across 54 African countries
• USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital for each selected entrepreneur
• Selection conducted independently by Ernst & Young

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) (www.TonyElumeluFoundation.org), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs, announced on Sunday, 22 March 2026 the 12th cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme at a ceremony held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The announcement was made by Founder Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R.

 

Among the 3,200 entrepreneurs selected from 265,000 applications received from all 54 African countries: seven from North Africa. Three from Tunisia, two from Morocco, two from Egypt. Spanning technology, education, professional services and agribusiness, they represent a generation of North African founders building businesses that address the urgent needs of their communities. Their selection, which was conducted independently by Ernst & Young, places them among the most rigorously assessed young entrepreneurs on the continent.

 

This year’s cohort carries a historic signal: 51 percent of the 2026 entrepreneurs are women. They were selected purely on merit, without quota. Across hundreds of thousands of applications, women distinguished themselves through the strength of their ideas, the clarity of their business models and the ambition of their vision.

 

In 2026, the Foundation is empowering a total of 3,200 entrepreneurs across all its entrepreneurship programmes:

 

• 1,751 entrepreneurs through Heirs Holdings Group: Heirs Energies, Transcorp Power, Transcorp Hotels, and United Capital;
• 1,049 entrepreneurs in partnership with the European Commission, OACPS, BMZ and GIZ;
• 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with Sèmè City Development Agency;
• 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with DEG, the German Development Agency;
• 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and the Dutch Government; and
• 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

 

 

Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to world-class business management training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and entry into a powerful network of investors, partners and fellow entrepreneurs.

 

In his annual letter (https://apo-opa.co/4uOFepM), “A Story of Hope,” Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, shared a powerful message to the new cohort:

 

“For a long time, I believed luck was something that simply happened to you. Then I came to understand: luck can be engineered. Opportunity can be democratised. Hope is not just a feeling — it is a system we can build.” — Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation — 2026 Annual Letter

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 2.5 million young Africans with access to business management training on TEFConnect (https://TEFConnect.com), and disbursed over USD 100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 selected entrepreneurs.

 

Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated USD 4.2 billion in revenue and created more than 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs. Through its support for African entrepreneurs, TEF has lifted 2.1 million Africans above the poverty line and positively impacted more than 4 million African households, with 46% of supported entrepreneurs being African women. Eighty percent of TEF-supported businesses survive and scale, against a global average of ten to twenty percent.

 

 

The announcement ceremony was broadcast live in English (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), French (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), Portuguese (https://apo-opa.co/4t4Y7Da) and Arabic (https://apo-opa.co/4bYHlQl).

 

PARIS, France, March 13, 2026/APO Group/ –As exploration momentum builds across West Africa’s (Mauritania-Senegal-Gambia-Bissau-Conakry) MSGBC basin, Guinea-Conakry is seeking to position itself as the region’s next frontier for oil and gas development while accelerating investment in large-scale power infrastructure. At the upcoming Invest in African Energy Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris, Aboubacar Camara, Minister of Health, Sanitation, Energy, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons of Guinea-Conakry, will outline the country’s strategy to unlock upstream potential and expand electricity generation to support industrial growth.

 

Guinea’s hydrocarbon sector remains largely underexplored compared to its regional neighbors. To stimulate exploration activity, the government has been preparing a licensing round covering 22 onshore and offshore blocks designed to attract international operators. As of late 2025, authorities were finalizing the technical framework and fiscal terms while expanding access to geological data through a National Seismic Data Visualization Center, developed in partnership with SLB and TGS. The data platform is expected to provide prospective investors with improved visibility into Guinea’s offshore basins ahead of the planned bid round.

 

While Guinea has historically seen limited drilling activity, interest in the country’s offshore margin has grown in recent years as major discoveries in neighboring Senegal and Mauritania have reshaped perceptions of the MSGBC basin’s resource potential.

 

Alongside upstream ambitions, Guinea is advancing a series of large-scale power projects aimed at addressing electricity shortages and supporting its expanding mining sector. Hydropower remains the backbone of the country’s electricity system, with major projects developed along the Konkouré River significantly increasing generation capacity in recent years.

 

The 450 MW Souapiti Hydropower Plant and the earlier 240 MW Kaleta facility have significantly expanded national generation capacity in recent years, strengthening grid reliability while providing power to mining operations and urban centers. Additional large-scale projects are progressing across the pipeline, including the 300 MW Amaria hydropower project and the 294 MW Koukoutamba hydropower plant, which is being developed under the Senegal River Basin Development Authority to supply electricity across several West African countries.

 

Beyond hydropower, authorities are exploring opportunities to diversify the country’s energy mix through gas and renewable energy investments. One proposal involves the development of an LNG terminal at the Port of Kamsar to support both import and export operations while supplying a planned gas-fired power facility capable of generating up to 1,900 MW of electricity.

 

Solar energy is also gaining momentum as part of Guinea’s long-term strategy to strengthen grid reliability and reduce seasonal dependence on hydropower. Government plans call for the addition of up to 500 MW of solar generation capacity in the coming years, opening new opportunities for independent power producers and infrastructure investors.

 

At the same time, regional transmission initiatives are expanding Guinea’s integration within the West African Power Pool. Financing approved in 2025 for the Guinea–Mali electricity interconnection project aims to improve electricity supply in eastern Guinea while enabling cross-border power trade and strengthening regional grid stability.

 

The IAE 2026 Forum offers Guinea-Conakry an opportunity to present its evolving energy strategy to international investors. By highlighting frontier exploration acreage alongside major power infrastructure developments, the government aims to attract the partnerships needed to accelerate the next phase of the country’s energy sector development.

 

IAE 2026 (http://apo-opa.co/4urkt3f) is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com