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Honorable Tom Alweendo Leads Namibian Delegation to Equatorial Guinea

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Tom Alweendo

Tom Alweendo will be accompanied by Petroleum Commissioner Maggy Shino, NAMCOR Head Immanuel Mulunga alongside other high-level executives during his official visit to Equatorial Guinea

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 29, 2022/APO Group/ — 

A high-level delegation from Namibia led by Energy Minister Tom Alweendo will travel to Equatorial Guinea to hold bilateral meetings and visit oil and gas facilities. Centered around knowledge sharing and capacity building, the visit aims to improve regional cooperation, strengthen Namibian skills and workforce capacity, while ushering in a new era of growth for the Namibian energy industry on the back of Equatorial Guinean insight. Minister Alweendo will be accompanied by Maggy Shino, Namibia’s Petroleum Commissioner and Immanuel Mulunga, Managing Director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), as well as other high-level dignitaries.

During the visit, Minister Alweendo will conduct bilateral meetings with a suite of Equatorial Guinean officials including H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea. What’s more, the delegation will be conducting official visits to numerous oil and gas installations, with Equatorial Guinean officials sharing mistakes, successes and best practices regarding oil and gas development. With specific focus granted to natural gas monetization and local content, the visit aims to encourage joint ventures between the two countries, strengthen cross-border cooperation while nourishing and improving skills and local capacity.

Meanwhile, following the visit, Equatorial Guinean industry experts have committed to training Namibia engineers at Equatorial Guinea’s Punta Europa Liquefied Natural Gas terminal – run by U.S. company, Marathon Oil Corporation. The training will be key for Namibia’s burgeoning oil and gas industry as it will ensure Namibians lead the development of the country’s oil and gas projects.

The minister will meet with many local Equatorial Guinean firms to encourage local firms to meet and encourage joint ventures and expand on local content

With Namibia’s energy sector bound for unprecedented growth due to two major oil and gas discoveries this year, Hon Alweendo is committed to ensuring energy developments translate into tangible benefits for the Namibian population. As such, with his visit to Equatorial Guinea, the minister is focused on leveraging regional cooperation and knowledge sharing in pursuit of industry success. For Namibia, Equatorial Guinea represents the ideal partner in the country’s journey towards industry revival. As a regional gas hub in its own right, Equatorial Guinea’s years of experience as an oil and gas producer, as well as its success regarding infrastructure rollout and processing facilities, make the country the perfect knowledge sharing partner for Namibia. In addition to establishing a competitive domestic industry, Equatorial Guinea’s success lies in its capacity to unlock, monetize and process regional gas reserves. As such, as Namibia’s own oil and gas industry unfolds, insight learned from a regional powerhouse such as Equatorial Guinea will be key for ensuring projects are developed rapidly and sustainably.

Speaking during a roundtable interview organized by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) on Friday August 26, H.E. Minister Lima stated that, “The Namibian minister will be coming to Equatorial Guinea, visiting the LNG, methanol and energy plants, so that they will know how they work. The minister will meet with many local Equatorial Guinean firms to encourage local firms to meet and encourage joint ventures and expand on local content. We will support them with knowledge about ports, pipelines and infrastructure development. We will talk about how Namibia needs to fast track its development.”

Hon Alweendo’s visit to Equatorial Guinea will be imperative for Namibia’s burgeoning oil and gas industry. Namibia is on the precipice of unprecedented industry growth, and through the visit, the country is reaffirming its commitment to ensuring development is led by Namibians,” Stated Jude Kearney, former United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Services Industries and Trade Finance., adding that, “In addition to strengthening regional cooperation, the visit will usher in a new era of knowledge sharing and insight between Equatorial Guinea and Namibia.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Via Licensing Alliance Expands Voice Codec Program with New Licensee, New Licensors, Publishes Comprehensive Pool Rate Structure

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May 22, 2026

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Via Licensing Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Via Licensing Alliance (Via) today announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the program’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors.

The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec program creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. This addition reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide.

Additionally, Via continues to prioritize transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The program’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website at https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#license-fees.

The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool license will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec License for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec program licensors are listed here: https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#licensors.

Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion and growing active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications.

“We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signal continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec program,” said Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance. “This pool license offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to license critical voice capabilities.”

EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway.

For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

About Via Licensing Alliance:
Via Licensing Alliance is the collaborative licensing leader, dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via has operated dozens of licensing programs for a variety of technologies. Via is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. For more information about Via, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

 

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Joint statement welcoming the Republic of Togo’s announcement on Visa facilitation for African nationals

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5 hours ago

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May 22, 2026

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Togo

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda

LOMÉ, Togo, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026.

The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the continent’s premier trade and business platform, which has brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, and stakeholders from across Africa to advance dialogue on intra-African trade, investment, and regional integration.

Throughout the engagements, participants underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of African citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors as an important enabler of intra-African trade and economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, the announcement reflects the growing continental momentum towards strengthening connectivity and deepening African integration.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, to which Togo is a State Party and a Member State, envision a continent where goods, services, capital, and people move more freely across borders in support of an integrated African market. Measures that facilitate mobility and connectivity continue to contribute towards advancing the broader mandate of both institutions; the attainment of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Morocco: African Development Bank commits €200 Million to boost employability and develop future skills

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5 hours ago

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May 22, 2026

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Morocco

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms

RABAT, Morocco, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved €200 million in financing for the implementation of the “Cap Compétences 2030” programme, aimed at improving employment opportunities for young people and women.

 

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms.

 

Cap Compétences 2030 is built around three pillars: skills development and strategic partnerships; inclusive training aligned with business needs; and digital transformation, supported by stronger institutional and operational capacity. The programme will also consolidate existing mechanisms while improving both their efficiency and reach.

 

Through the initiative, the African Development Bank seeks to expand access to diversified training opportunities and enhance the professional integration of beneficiaries into the labour market.

Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women

 

Achraf Tarsim, Country Manager of the African Development Bank Group in Morocco, said Cap Compétences 2030 aligns with the priorities of the country’s National Employment Roadmap 2025–2030 and the Bank’s strategic vision under its Four Cardinal Points (https://apo-opa.co/3PDHMHn). “Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women,” he said.

 

The Bank’s intervention is being implemented in close coordination with technical and financial partners to strengthen coherence and complementarity in support of public policy reforms.

 

This programme reflects the Bank’s long-term engagement in Morocco in the areas of human development, employment, and social inclusion. It also builds on a broader portfolio of results-based operations that contribute to structural reforms of the labour market and vocational training system.

 

Since its establishment, the African Development Bank Group has mobilised more than €15 billion across strategic sectors in Morocco, including education, health, employment, infrastructure, energy, and governance.

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

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