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Hyperscalers Convergence Africa 2026 sets action agenda for Africa’s Digital Infrastructure Buildout

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International Telecoms Week

Africa Hyperscalers extends the HCA conversation to International Telecoms Week Africa, advancing regional discussions on enabling regulation, connectivity and data-centre investment

Africa’s digital future depends on the infrastructure choices we make today

LAGOS, Nigeria, September 14, 2026/APO Group/ –African digital infrastructure convener, Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) (https://ConvergenceAfrica.Hyperscalers) 2026 concluded with a clear action agenda for accelerating Africa’s digital infrastructure development. The conference also honoured twelve pioneers whose work helped shape the continent’s digital economy and recognised 100 women leading innovation across telecommunications, cloud, data centres, policy, finance and technology.

 




  

Held under the theme “Africa’s Great Digital Buildout (https://apo-opa.co/4hqmkAL),” the third edition brought together policymakers, regulators, investors, development finance institutions, technology companies, infrastructure operators and enterprise leaders from across the continent.

Participants included Dr Talkmore Chidede of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, representing Secretary-General Wamkele Mene; Sulaiman Cisse of Africa Finance Corporation; Opuiyo Oforiokuma of the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund; Amine Idriss Adoum of AUDA-NEPAD; Wole Abu of Equinix; Kanwulia Okafor of GSMA; Lars Johannisson of Rack Centre; Alma Nurshaikhova of the World Bank; Bill Kleyman of Data Center World and Apolo.us; Snehar Shah of IXAfrica Data Centres; Atinuke Runsewe of Bayobab/MTN; Dr Ayotunde Coker of Open Access Data Centres; and Nonye Ujam of Microsoft.

Across five panel sessions and two keynotes, speakers examined how data centres, cloud, fibre, power and artificial intelligence can support Africa’s digital transformation and economic growth.

From isolated projects to connected systems

A central conclusion was that Africa must move beyond isolated infrastructure projects towards coordinated, cross-border digital systems. While new data centres, subsea cables, cloud platforms and fibre networks are expanding capacity, their economic impact will remain limited without reliable power, harmonised regulation, affordable connectivity and stronger links to enterprise demand.

The conference identified seven priorities:

  • Create incentives for internet service providers to peer across borders, reducing the cost and complexity of routing African traffic.
  • Align regulatory processes, fiscal models, technical standards and tariffs across markets. Alignment does not require identical national laws, but it should make cross-border investment and operations more predictable.
  • Fund early-stage project preparation and coordination to help viable infrastructure projects become investment-ready.
  • Connect pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions and infrastructure developers to mobilise more African institutional capital.
  • Extend subsea capacity inland through terrestrial and metropolitan fibre, open interconnection and resilient cross-border routes.
  • Support local cloud and artificial intelligence workloads by investing in computing capacity, power, data centres, skills and responsible data governance.
  • Ensure infrastructure reaches micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through affordable broadband, cloud services, reliable power and accessible digital devices.

Participants also highlighted major projects that could support wider regional transformation, including Nigeria’s proposed 90,000-kilometre fibre backbone under the BRIDGE initiative, cross-border peering incentives and the development of an Oracle cloud region in Nigeria.

HCA will consolidate the conference findings into an Africa Digital Infrastructure Delivery Agenda 2026, covering regulation, capital, power, connectivity, data centres, cloud, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and regional integration.

Recognising Africa’s digital pioneers

The inaugural HCA Digital Infrastructure Pioneers Awards (https://apo-opa.co/4xm7Neg) honoured twelve individuals whose work helped establish the foundations of Africa’s digital economy: Andile Ngcaba, Funke Opeke, Strive Masiyiwa, Alan Knott-Craig Sr, Chris Wood, Sam Darwish, Ernest Ndukwe, Michuki Mwangi, President Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Khaled Bichara Brian Herlihy and Mohamed Nasr.

The recognition celebrated contributions ranging from telecommunications reform and private-sector investment to fibre deployment, internet exchange development, undersea cable systems and the expansion of affordable connectivity.

Celebrating 100 women shaping Africa’s digital future

HCA 2026 also released an inclusion report and recognised 100 women making significant contributions across the continent’s digital ecosystem (https://apo-opa.co/4xrS39I). The initiative was created to address the persistent visibility gap surrounding women leading telecommunications companies, infrastructure projects, technology businesses, regulatory institutions and investment platforms.

Honourees from East Africa included Judy Nguru of Google, Rayana Choudhary of Wingu Africa, Frehiwot Tamiru of Ethio Telecom, Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi of Safaricom, Catherine Muraga of Microsoft Africa Development Centre, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire, and Angela Wamola of GSMA.

North African honourees included Lobna Helal of Telecom Egypt, Doha Ammour of N+ONE Datacenters and Adeela Mahmood of Raxio Group. Pan-African and global leaders recognised included Vibhuti Jain of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Nene Maiga of Orange Botswana, Beauty Apleni of Openserve, Yolanda Cuba of MTN South Africa and Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani of South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.

West Africa accounted for 44 per cent of the list. Honourees included Nikki Popoola of WIOCC Group, Patricia Obo-Nai of Telecel Ghana, Dr Judith Yah Sunday of CAMTEL, Josephine Awatefe Sarouk of Bayobab Nigeria, Funke Opeke of MainOne, Adaora Ikenze of Meta, Thelma Quaye of Smart Africa, Jana Kunicová of the World Bank, Ayaan Adam of Africa Finance Corporation, Mavis A. Ampah of Ghana’s National Communications Authority, Togo’s Minister Cina Lawson, Rimini Haraya Makama of the Nigerian Communications Commission and Aisha Mumuni of MTN Nigeria.

In his opening keynote, Temitope Osunrinde, Executive Director of Africa Hyperscalers, said “Africa’s digital future depends on the infrastructure choices we make today. Delivering reliable power, resilient connectivity, secure data centres and affordable computing will require governments, investors and industry to work together. Bilateral agreements are valuable, but multilateral alignment on policy, regulation and investment is essential to build interconnected infrastructure at the scale Africa requires.”

Hyperscalers Convergence Africa 2026 was delivered with the support of IHS Towers, Open Access Data Centres, the National Information Technology Development Agency, Rehiko, Vertiv, Rack Centre, Equinix, Nokia, smartcomply, The Littlesteps Group, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Xalam Analytics and Nina Jojer as knowledge partner.

 

Evening Cocktail reception for Development Partners

Africa Hyperscalers also hosted leaders from Africa’s business and enterprise community at an evening cocktail reception welcoming Brandon Hudspeth, the new U.S. Consul General in Lagos; Amine Idriss Adoum, Director of Infrastructure, Energy, Industrialisation, Trade and Regional Integration at the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD); and Dr Talkmore Chidede, Senior Digital Trade Expert at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.

Extending the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa Conversation at International Telecoms Week Africa

Africa Hyperscalers extended the digital infrastructure conversation to International Telecoms Week Africa in Nairobi, where Temitope Osunrinde, Director, Africa Hyperscalers, chaired two sessions. The first, “Regulation That Builds: Aligning Policy and Digital Infrastructure Investment Priorities,” examined how regulatory frameworks can enable digital infrastructure investment across Africa. Speakers included Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Data Protection Commission; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, National Information Technology Development Agency; Tony Emoekpere, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria; Mercy Ndegwa, Public Policy Director, East and the Horn of Africa, Meta; and Engr. Dennis Chepkwony, Director, Universal Service Fund, Communications Authority of Kenya.

The second session, “Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure Opportunity,” showcased the connectivity and data-centre opportunities in one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital markets. Discussions covered Project BRIDGE and new regulatory guidelines designed to stimulate local demand for data centre, cloud and computing capacity. Speakers included chief host and lead presenter Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, National Information Technology Development Agency; Jay Katatumba, Senior Investment Director, Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund; Lanre Kolade, Chief Executive Officer, Koltronics Nigeria, and Adviser, Project BRIDGE; Gbenga Adegbiji, Chief Executive Officer, Geniserve, and Technical Adviser, Project BRIDGE; Niraj Shah, General Manager, Data Centre Programme, Bayobab Africa; Ike Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Realty Nigeria; Wole Abu, Managing Director, West Africa, Equinix; and Cherotich Kiereini, Senior Infrastructure Strategy Adviser, Oracle.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Hyperscalers.

 

 




 

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Kosmos Energy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Inglis to Receive Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026

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10 hours ago

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October 6, 2026

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African Energy Chamber

Inglis is recognized for more than four decades of industry leadership, spanning major African oil and gas developments, entrepreneurship, workforce development and community investment

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 5, 2026/APO Group/ –Andrew Inglis, Chairman and CEO of international energy company Kosmos Energy, has been selected as the winner of the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026’s Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to advancing African energy projects and ongoing commitment to strengthening community development continent-wide. The award recognizes a career spanning more than four decades and an enduring contribution to the development of Africa’s energy industry.

 




  

Inglis joined Kosmos as Chairman and CEO in 2014 following 30 years at bp, where he rose to become CEO of Exploration and Production. Since then, he has overseen Kosmos’ growth across some of West Africa’s most important offshore basins, helping translate major discoveries into producing assets while supporting investment in local businesses, professionals and communities.

Andrew Inglis represents the kind of leadership Africa needs – leadership that finds resources

Central to this legacy is the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG development, situated on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal. Kosmos discovered the Tortue field in 2015, opening a major new gas province that ultimately underpinned GTA. First LNG production was achieved in 2025 and the project continues to move into ramp-up and optimization in 2026. Additional liquefaction capacity is expected to come onstream in phases, with a portion of gas allocated for the domestic markets in Mauritania and Senegal. In Q2, 2026, gross production averaged approximately 2.65 million tons per annum and nine LNG cargoes were lifted during the period.

In Ghana, Kosmos continues to invest in the Jubilee and TEN fields. A multi-well drilling campaign in 2026 has driven Jubilee production higher, with new wells supporting gross output above 85,000 barrels per day by the end of the second quarter and further development planned. Earlier this year, Ghana ratified extensions to the Jubilee and TEN licenses through 2040, providing the foundation for additional investment and drilling. Kosmos Energy has also played a central role in strengthening Equatorial Guinea’s production landscape. Inglis oversaw Kosmos’ expansion in the country, where the company invested in the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex from 2017 until completing the sale of its producing interests to Panoro Energy in June 2026.

Yet Inglis’ impact goes far beyond project development. Under his leadership, Kosmos has advanced its local content strategy, centered on capacity building, education and entrepreneurial support as well as social development. The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) has supported entrepreneurship in Ghana, Mauritania, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Since inception, KIC programs have trained more than 5,600 people, supported 185 businesses, helped launch more than 220 startups and contributed to more than 700 direct jobs. In Equatorial Guinea, Kosmos supported education, healthcare and community initiatives, including the PRODEGE education program, which trained two-thirds of the country’s primary-school teachers during its first five years.

“Andrew Inglis represents the kind of leadership Africa needs – leadership that finds resources, invests for the long term and understands that the ultimate measure of success is the opportunity created around those investments. From GTA and Ghana to the entrepreneurs, workers and communities Kosmos has supported, his impact extends far beyond barrels and molecules. He has helped build businesses, develop people and demonstrate the enormous value that responsible investment can create across Africa,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Inglis will received the Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at the AEW Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, taking place during the conference next month. Convening international investors, African governments and leading operators from October 12-16, the event is positioned as Africa’s energy marketplace.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 

 




 

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Energy

African Energy Week (AEW 2026) Turns Cape Town into Africa’s Energy Marketplace

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10 hours ago

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October 6, 2026

By

African Energy Chamber

Ministerial delegations, national oil companies, operators and financiers will converge in Cape Town to negotiate deals, forge commercial partnerships and advance African energy projects

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 5, 2026/APO Group/ –African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4dR325o) is more than a conference. It is Africa’s energy marketplace – a meeting point for the governments that control resources, the companies that develop them, the financiers that provide capital and the service providers that turn investment decisions into operating projects. From October 12–16, Cape Town will become a platform for these players to negotiate deals, establish commercial relationships and move African energy opportunities closer to execution.

 




  

This commercial mandate has helped turn AEW into a broader movement around African energy development. By bringing decision-makers across the value chain into one marketplace, the event creates an opportunity not only to discuss the trajectory of Africa’s energy systems, but to actively reshape it.

AEW 2026 will convene ministers, national oil companies (NOCs), international operators, independents, financiers and service companies, with a program structured around commercial engagement. In addition to its strategic conference stages, the event incorporates live deal signings, structured business matchmaking and closed-door meetings. More than 9,000 delegates from over 100 countries are preparing to make their way to Cape Town, bringing with them new opportunities for investment, collaboration and project advancement.

AEW has already cemented itself as Africa’s energy marketplace, where every party needed to advance a project or initiative is present and actively pursuing deals. The marketplace model has also translated engagement at the event into tangible commercial outcomes, with agreements concluded across financing, project development and cross-border partnerships.

When people ask me what AEW is, I tell them it’s the African energy marketplace

Agreements signed at recent editions span project finance, trade finance, hydrogen development and NOC partnerships. Signatories at AEW 2022 included Afreximbank, Sasol, Technip Energies and Namcor. The 2023 edition recorded a loan agreement between Afreximbank and Alphaden Energy & Oilfield, as well as a hydrogen agreement between Gambia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and H2 Gambia Limited. Five agreements were signed at AEW 2024, including a partnership between the NOCs of the Republic of Congo and Azerbaijan and a trade finance agreement between Afreximbank and Dorman Long Engineering.

Equatorial Guinea’s 2026 licensing round illustrates how engagement at AEW progresses into commercial activity. The country announced the round at AEW 2025 and provided prospective bidders with details on available acreage, the bid timeline and amendments to fiscal terms and production sharing contracts. This momentum will continue into 2026. Algeria will bring its ongoing bid round – featuring seven onshore exploration opportunities – to the forefront of the event while Liberia’s Petroleum Regulatory Authority, in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, will showcase the country’s 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round.

AEW 2026 takes this engagement further. The Deal Room provides project sponsors and developers with a platform to present active oil, gas, power and infrastructure transactions, while the African Farmout Forum, held in partnership with Moyes & Co, Farmout Angel and Envoi, presents available blocks and acreage from across the continent. An African Upstream M&A panel will assess prevailing deal structures, and a dedicated finance session will examine risk allocation as a determinant of financial close.

Country sessions give operators direct access to government decision-makers. The program features spotlights on South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Namibia, Ghana, the Republic of Congo and more, while the 8th Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization NOC CEOs’ Forum will facilitate collaboration between major players.

Power Africa Today, Renegade Intel and the Upstream E&P Forum will run alongside the main program, extending AEW’s coverage to power, digital infrastructure and exploration. Together, these platforms reinforce AEW’s role not simply as a forum for discussing Africa’s energy future, but as a place where the commercial relationships, investment decisions and agreements shaping that future are made.

“When people ask me what AEW is, I tell them it’s the African energy marketplace. You walk into that building and ministers are there, NOCs are there, banks are there, the company with the rig is there, and they’re all looking for each other. Some of the most important conversations of the year happen in a corridor between sessions, and more often than not they end with a signed agreement,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Registration for AEW 2026 is available at https://apo-opa.co/4dR325o.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 

 




 

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Events

“Future Resonance — ShanghaiEye Night” Brings Shanghai to Washington, Fosters People-to-People Exchange Across the Pacific

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1 day ago

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October 5, 2026

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ShanghaiEye Night

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 October 2026 – On October 3, 2026, local time, a Shanghai-themed cultural exchange event was held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., bringing a taste of Shanghai to the U.S. Titled “Future Resonance — ShanghaiEye Night,” the event was also part of the “Shanghai Let’s Meet” city promotion initiative and a broader series of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges. Through a variety of cultural activities and interactions, the event built bridges between people across the Pacific and offered a glimpse of Shanghai as an open, inclusive and dynamic international metropolis.

 




  

The event, held by Shanghai Media Group, brought together nearly 100 prominent figures from China and the United States across the political, business, technology, cultural and arts sectors. Song Jiongming, President of Shanghai Media Group, and Susan Lee, Secretary of State of Maryland, attended the event and delivered remarks. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was also in attendance.

In the afternoon, the National Mall was transformed into a “mini Shanghai” carnival. The carnival featured 50 stalls showcasing international cuisine, a “Shanghai Charm” themed exhibition area and displays of China’s intangible cultural heritage.

Visitors got a glimpse of Shanghai’s cutting-edge technological innovation through a model of the C919 passenger jet, explored the city’s latest trends through a model of the Oriental Pearl Tower and popular Chinese cultural and creative IPs, and took a virtual journey through Shanghai’s past and present with VR headsets provided by the Shanghai Museum. Time-honored brands such as White Rabbit candy, Hero fountain pens and Lao Feng Xiang Jewelry offered visitors a taste of Shanghai’s iconic homegrown brands. Meanwhile, an IP SHANGHAI lenticular art exhibition brought the city to life through dynamic images that changed as visitors moved around the displays.

From such an immersive experience showcasing Shanghai as a first stop for international visitors entering China to distinctive IPs spanning culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, the carnival offered Americans and international visitors a glimpse of the city and a chance to experience Shanghai firsthand at one of Washington’s most iconic landmarks. Many visitors said they hoped to visit Shanghai in person and explore the city on foot through a “city walk.”

As the sun began to set, its golden glow fell over the Capitol dome. Against an iconic backdrop featuring the two cities, the “Future Resonance” outdoor concert got underway.

Young performers from China and the United States took the stage alongside renowned artists from both countries. The One Voice Children’s Choir from the United States and the Manhattan Philharmonic joined forces to perform “We Are Together,” a song created in Shanghai to celebrate friendship between the two countries.

The program featured a rich mix of symphonic works, traditional Chinese music, Chinese opera and anime music. Footage from Shanghai’s city image film “UP! SHANGHAI” played on the large screen behind the stage throughout the concert.

Later that evening, nearly 100 guests from China and the United States, including prominent figures from politics, business, technology, culture and the arts, took part in the ShanghaiEye Night dialogue session.

Themed “Invest in China for a Win-Win Future,” the dialogue highlighted the China International Import Expo and Shanghai’s development as an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and technological innovation center. It also showcased the city’s world-class business environment and provided a platform for high-level dialogue and practical cooperation between Chinese and U.S. companies.

The dialogue also featured a “Shanghai Charm” city image reception area. On one side, twenty selected historical photographs capturing key “Shanghai moments” in China-U.S. relations were displayed, including the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué, the launch of the first China-U.S. air route, the opening of Apple’s first store in China, the Tesla Gigafactory and the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disney Resort.

On the other side, 20 photographs from the IP SHANGHAI platform, under the theme “Chasing Dreams in Shanghai,” showcased Lujiazui Financial City, Yangshan Deep-Water Port, Shanghai Grand Opera House, the North Bund shipping hub, and the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. Together, the displays offered guests a visual introduction to the city and created lasting memories of Shanghai.

With the support of the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government and co-hosted by Shanghai Media Group, the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Conservation Center and the Washington Chinese Community Alliance, the event brought together guests from a range of sectors in China and the United States.

The event brought Shanghai closer to American audiences and the international community through city promotion, cultural performances, interactive experiences and high-level dialogue. It also provided a platform for people-to-people and cultural exchange between China and the United States.

  




 

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