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Inaugural Africa Energy Expo set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda: Launching a new era of energy in Africa

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Africa Energy Expo

Africa Energy Expo is primed to foster essential relationships and catalyse strategic investments within the energy sector

KIGALI, Rwanda, October 10, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Informa Markets (www.InformaMarkets.com), a leading global exhibition and conference organiser, today announced the launch of the first-ever Africa Energy Expo, set to take place in the vibrant city of Kigali, Rwanda, from 20 to 22 February 2024.

This flagship event is designed to facilitate critical discussions, foster collaboration, and drive progress in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) while advancing Africa’s Power Vision goals. It comes at a crucial juncture in global energy discourse, aligning with the goals established during COP 27 and setting the stage for the relationships and investments critical to COP 28.

Endorsed by the Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure and supported by the Rwanda Convention Bureau, the Africa Energy Expo, and the Africa Energy Leadership Summit are pivotal gatherings of African decision-makers tackling the continent’s energy infrastructure gap.

“As Rwanda proudly hosts the inaugural Africa Energy Expo, we are fully aware of the persistent energy challenges across our continent, with 43% of the African population lacking electricity access and 970 million people still in need of clean cooking solutions. Rwanda has made remarkable progress in our pursuit of universal electricity access, achieving an access rate of 70%, with 20% of this success attributed to off-grid solutions such as solar home systems and mini-grids. These initiatives are not only extending access but also fostering the growth of renewable energy sources. Through the Africa Energy Expo, we are transforming these challenges into concrete solutions.,” says Gen. Caesar -The Chief Technical Advisor in charge of Energy at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda.

“We are very pleased that Rwanda has been chosen to host the Africa Energy Expo in February 2024. This event is not just about energy; it’s about powering Africa’s future. Our country is known for its commitment to sustainability and innovation, making it the ideal destination to advance access to modern, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions in Africa. To the guests and delegates who will be attending the Africa Energy Expo 2024, we look forward to welcoming you to Kigali and ensuring that you have a memorable experience.”, Candy Basomingera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Convention Bureau.

Confirmed Speakers at Africa Energy Expo

The event boasts a diverse and influential lineup of speakers, each representing a distinct facet of Africa’s dynamic energy ecosystem. Confirmed speakers include:

  • Johan van den Berg, Head of Secretariat, AEEP (Africa-EU Energy Partnership)
  • Teddy Mpinganzima Mugabo, CEO, Rwanda Green Fund
  • Dr Joy Ogaji, MD/CEO, Association of Power Generation Companies
  • Pat Thaker, Editorial and Regional Director, MEA, The Economist Intelligence
  • Benedict Craven, Principal Economist and Country Risk Manager, The Economist Intelligence
  • Olamide Niyi Afuye, CEO, AMDA (Africa Minigrid Developers Association)
  • Annick Muhama, Director General for Energy, Ministry of Infrastructure – Rwanda (Advisory Board Chair)
  • NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber
  • Didier Nkurikiyimfura, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Smart Africa
  • Eng Sule Abdulaziz, MD/CEO, Transmission Company of Nigeria; Executive Board Chairman, West African Power Pool
  • Fadilah Tchoumba, Secretary General, ABAN (Africa Business Angels Network)
  • Joan Chahenza, Senior Technical Advisor, USAID/Power Africa Healthcare Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA)
  • John van Zuylen, CEO, Africa Solar Industry Association
  • Mwila Lando, Social Entrepreneur

“Africa Energy Expo is primed to foster essential relationships and catalyse strategic investments within the energy sector,” says Azzan Mohamed, Informa Markets Group Director – Energy Portfolio, EMEA. “It aims to connect regulators, utilities, and governments with policymakers while also establishing an enabling framework for resource sharing between African nations.”

The Africa Energy Expo is a truly pan-African event at which the entire value chain of stakeholders across Africa’s energy sector will be represented

Pan-Africa representation of energy industry players

The Africa Energy Expo is a truly pan-African event at which the entire value chain of stakeholders across Africa’s energy sector will be represented. Leading exhibitors from across Africa and beyond will showcase the latest products and solutions, focusing on five vital sectors: Renewable and Clean Energy, Conventional Power Generation, Smart Solutions, Transmission and Distribution, and Backup Generators and Critical Power solutions.

Taking place alongside the Africa Energy Expo is the Africa Energy Leadership Summit. Themed ‘Investments, integration, infrastructure, and governance for the energy transition,’ the Summit aims to forge partnerships that will accelerate targeted interventions and focus on advancing a just, fair, and sustainable energy transition, embodying Africa’s commitment to bridging its energy infrastructure divide.

In addition, the Africa Energy Expo features exhibitors’ workshops and an Entrepreneurs Forum. This forum offers business skills training for new market entrants, youth, entrepreneurs, and industry mentors, providing an opportunity for project owners and stakeholders to network, mobilize resources, and address crucial issues around policy and projects in an enabling environment.

In addition, interactive deep dive sessions on hot-button topics will enable peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, allowing stakeholders across the value chain to define the solutions that will drive the sector forward.

Collaborating for the benefit of the African energy sector

“Informa Markets’ hosted buyer programme and Investor Club are key features of our energy events. Our dedicated team facilitates conversations, business deals, and MOUs worth billions of US dollars between energy stakeholders in Africa on a daily basis, and we look forward to doing so at the Africa Energy Expo as well,” says Mohamed.

“Africa Energy Expo springs from the success of a 48-year legacy in building events, connecting the right buyers, facilitating dialogue, and supporting economic growth across the Middle East and Africa. Our leading energy events boast a 95%+ exhibitor satisfaction rating – in revenue terms, this translates into USD1.86 billion in total business per flagship edition, delivering USD1.3 million in average sales per exhibitor in the Middle East region, and USD900 million by exhibitors across Africa. With a proven record across events like Middle East Energy Dubai, Nigeria Energy, and Egypt Energy, we’re bringing this success to Rwanda to help move the continent towards its energy goals.”

In Africa, for Africa

Rwanda, renowned for its sustainable development initiatives, impressive pre-pandemic GDP growth, and resilient recovery from global challenges, is the perfect backdrop for the Africa Energy Expo. Positioned at the heart of Africa, its central location and ease of access are conducive to a pan-African energy event. Moreover, Rwanda’s commitment to sustainability, outlined in the country’s Vision 2050, aligns with Africa Energy Expo’s goals of promoting a sustainable energy future.

Africa Energy Expo 2024 promises to be a landmark event that unites stakeholders, promotes sustainable energy solutions, and propels Africa toward a brighter energy future.

Bookings for exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities are now open. Please get in touch with the team here (https://apo-opa.info/46IJZEl) and engage with 4000+ hard-to-reach buyers from across the continent.

For more information about Africa Energy Expo 2024, please visit Africa Energy Expo | Home (Africa-EnergyExpo.com).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Informa Markets: Energy.

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The 27th China International Education Annual Conference held a cloud dialogue, where Yin Yuzhen and Saikaos discussed the exchange of folk ecological education

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November 11, 2026

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China

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 November 2026 – The 27th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) hosted a “CACIE Talk” session in Beijing on October 30, where Yin Yuzhen, a Chinese anti-desertification pioneer, Bai Fan, head of the Luoyang No. 2 Foreign Language School Education Group, and their American friend Sakolsky, whose full name is Ronald Sakolsky, reconnected via video link. The brief conversation added a new footnote to a cross-border green story now spanning 26 years.
 




 
In the video link, Sakolsky said he had launched preparations on October 1 to establish the Sakolsky Foundation. He plans to work with the China Education Association for International Exchange to build a platform for exchanges between Chinese and American teachers and students, using people-to-people exchanges to bridge cultural divides. Communication and understanding, he said, are important bridges to a peaceful future for young people in the global village we all share. Bai Fan also noted that face-to-face cross-border educational exchanges can help young people learn tolerance and respect, and see a real, multi-dimensional China. Yin Yuzhen responded with a simple observation that resonated with the audience: planting trees and nurturing people both come down to perseverance.

The friendship had its origins in the Maowusu Sandy Land. In 1999, Sakolsky, then teaching in Luoyang, was moved by Yin Yuzhen’s story of taking root in the desert to control desertification, and raised $5,000 himself to support her afforestation efforts. Yin invested the entire sum in the sandy land, planted some 50,000 saplings, erected a stone marker bearing her friend’s name, and kept one dollar as a memento.

The two then lost touch for more than two decades. Yin kept up her sand-control work day after day while thinking of her friend far away. In May 2026, she posted a video appeal to find him and located Sakolsky within 26 hours. In August that year, the two met in person in Ordos and walked together into the forest that now stands there.

For more than four decades, Yin Yuzhen and her husband have remained committed to the Maowusu, bringing a total of 70,000 mu (about 4,667 hectares) of barren sand under control. The shifting dunes that once rolled with yellow dust have gradually become woodland and pasture. Today, 85 percent of the Maowusu Sandy Land in Uxin Banner has been treated, and the transformation of this sandy expanse is regarded as a model case in reversing land degradation worldwide. Over the years, the area has continued to attract volunteers from many countries to take part in desertification control, and people-to-people cooperation on environmental protection has continued to grow.

The goodwill that began with sand control has long gone beyond a single stretch of sandy land. On October 15 this year, Yin Yuzhen was named one of the inaugural “100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. There she joined Sakolsky and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in planting a crape myrtle as a symbol of friendship, sharing China’s experience in desertification control on the international stage. Windblown sand respects no borders, and a shared commitment to ecological conservation has carried the story of two ordinary people out of the desert and onto the international multilateral platform.

The thread of people-to-people friendship clearly runs from the saplings in the Maowusu to the crape myrtle as a mark of friendship in Rome, and now to the conversation in Beijing about exchanges among young people. Sakolsky’s plan to establish the foundation is meant to carry forward the goodwill that began in the desert: starting from an ecological commitment, using educational exchange as a bond, and helping more young people build connections and pass on the power of goodness and beauty.
 




 

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Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group–World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Investment Excellence Awards 2026 Announce Winners

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2 hours ago

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November 11, 2026

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Islamic Development Bank

Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –The IsDB Group–WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 (https://www.IsDB.org) concluded today during the 30th World Investment Conference (WIC 2026) in Geneva, Switzerland, recognizing outstanding Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) for their contributions to sustainable investment, investment facilitation, and economic development across IsDB Member Countries.

 




  

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Egypt, received the IsDB Group- WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Outstanding Sustainable Investment Project for the Kom Ombo Solar PV Power Project, a landmark initiative that has delivered measurable economic, social, and environmental impact while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Invest Oman received the IsDB Group-WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Investment-Ready Projects, Partnerships & Facilitation Excellence in recognition of its success in developing investment-ready opportunities through effective partnerships, stakeholder coordination, and investor facilitation.

The National Investment Promotion Agency of Comoros received a Special Recognition Award for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The agency was recognized for supporting investors at every stage, from preparing projects to aftercare.

The Awards are a joint initiative of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), established to recognize Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from IsDB Member Countries that are driving sustainable development, private sector growth, economic diversification, and long-term prosperity through investment.

A total of 15 applications were submitted for the 2026 edition. Following an eligibility screening process, all eligible submissions were reviewed and assessed by an independent international jury, which selected the winners based on the published evaluation criteria.

The awards were presented by Mr. Ismail Ersahin, Chief Executive Officer of WAIPA; Mr. Sahal Almarwai, Division Manager of Outreach & Events Management at the IsDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH); and Mr. Kadir Basboga, Associate Manager, Regional Integration, Cooperation & Capacity Development at IsDB. The ceremony brought together IPAs leaders, senior government officials, investors, and private sector representatives attending the World Investment Conference (WIC) 2026.

Launched during the IsDB Group Annual Meetings 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Awards reflect the evolving role of IPAs in supporting investors throughout the investment lifecycle, strengthening investment ecosystems, coordinating stakeholders, and developing bankable investment opportunities. Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

 




 

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Lord Nicholas Stern to headline Africa’s Green Economy Summit as continent looks towards 32nd Conference of the Parties (COP32)

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2 hours ago

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November 11, 2026

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COP32

AGES 2027 brings global and African leaders together in Cape Town to focus on financing and delivering Africa’s sustainable future

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s leading authorities on the economics of climate change, will deliver a keynote address at Africa’s Green Economy Summit (https://apo-opa.co/4iRv4j7) (AGES), taking place from 23 to 26 February 2027 at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. His participation comes as Africa looks towards COP32, which Ethiopia will host in 2027.

 




  

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, will address delegates during the opening keynote session: “Ready for the World: Financing and Delivering Africa’s Sustainable Future.”

A foundational figure in shaping the economic case for global climate action, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern led the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, which demonstrated the profound economic risks of inaction on climate change and made the case for investment in a transition to a low-carbon economy.

His participation comes as Africa enters an important period for climate action. With COP32 placing the global spotlight on the continent, the focus is increasingly shifting from ambition and commitments towards implementation: mobilising capital, building investable projects, strengthening resilience and ensuring the green transition supports economic growth, industrialisation and jobs.

“COP32 is an opportunity for Africa to change the narrative from a continent seeking climate finance to a continent offering some of the world’s most compelling green investment opportunities. AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery,” says Emmanuelle Nicholls, Group Director: Green Economy at VUKA Group.

That transition from ambition to delivery sits at the heart of the newly released AGES 2027 programme, with “Road to COP32: Africa’s Implementation Agenda” running as a cross-cutting theme throughout the summit. The opening programme also features a dedicated discussion on Africa’s adaptation and resilience agenda on the road to COP32.

New voices shaping Africa’s green economy

AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern will be joined by a growing line-up of African and international leaders spanning green growth, climate finance, development finance, trade and investment.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Mallé Fofana, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Directorate for Green Growth Implementation at the Global Green Growth Institute
  • Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini
  • Haile Mekonnen, COP32 Climate Finance Representative for the Ethiopian Private Sector and member of UNECA’s COP32 Climate Finance Technical Team
  • Aakif Merchant, Director and Head of Africa at Convergence
  • Dave Chalila, Head of Africa and Middle East Investments at GuarantCo (PIDG)
  • Roslyn Ng’eno, Senior Investment Expert at the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

 

The programme will examine some of the most immediate opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s sustainable development, including energy access and green industrialisation, water security, sustainable agriculture, climate and nature finance, critical minerals, sustainable mobility, carbon finance, digital infrastructure and the mobilisation of institutional capital.

From climate ambition to capital

The COP32 conversation at AGES will be grounded in investment and delivery.

AGES 2027 is expected to bring together 700+ delegates, 150+ investors and 40 investment-ready projects representing a US$2 billion pipeline, creating a marketplace connecting African opportunities with the capital, partners and expertise required to take them forward.

New additions for 2027 include a Ministerial & Technical Leadership Roundtable, a closed-door DFI Roundtable and the Green Village, alongside investor roundtables, curated matchmaking and project pitches.

The City of Cape Town returns as host city for AGES 2027.

The full AGES 2027 programme is now available, together with the summit’s new infrastructure and SMME Dealbooks highlighting investment-ready African projects seeking capital and partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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