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Italy contributes EUR 5.5 million to African Development Bank Group’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund

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Entrepreneurship

The Trust Fund has also empowered more than 12,000 young entrepreneurs who have gone on to transform their business plans and contribute to economic growth

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 30, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has welcomed a contribution of EUR 5.5 million from Italy for its Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

Italian officials announced the new financing during the Fund’s mid-year Oversight Committee Meeting held virtually on 26 June. They reaffirmed the country’s commitment to fostering youth entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa.

“The Italian Government is proud to contribute to the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund and to support African youth in their entrepreneurial pursuits,” said the Deputy Central Director for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, Marco Riccardo Rusconi.

This support reflects a shared mission to nurture and provide necessary business skills to African youth, while promoting entrepreneurship and innovation

“We believe that fostering innovation and creating sustainable job opportunities – in particular for youth and women – are crucial for inclusive and resilient economic growth in Africa,” he added.

Youth unemployment and access to quality jobs are pressing challenges across the continent. Africa’s unemployment rate stands at 8.1%, with youth being disproportionally affected. Italy’s support will bolster initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and formalizing enterprises. By focusing on youth-led start-ups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the Trust Fund seeks to create sustainable job opportunities and drive innovation.

By the start of 2023, the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund facilitated the creation of more than 68,500 direct jobs for youth in Africa and improved access to financing for over 6,600 micro, small and medium enterprises across the continent. The Trust Fund has also empowered more than 12,000 young entrepreneurs who have gone on to transform their business plans and contribute to economic growth.

Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development said, “We thank the Government of Italy for its unwavering partnership and generous contribution. This support reflects a shared mission to nurture and provide necessary business skills to African youth, while promoting entrepreneurship and innovation.”

The African Development Bank founded the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund in 2017, to promote innovation and entrepreneurship as well as to create durable and sustainable jobs for youth on the continent. The Trust Fund provides grants to support the Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy programs and initiatives. The Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy aims to create 25 million jobs and equip 50 million youth with employable and entrepreneurial skills by 2025. 

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

Business

Canada–Africa Financing Forum to Convene Investors and Decision-Makers in Cape Town – May 14, 2026

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Ateau Zola

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships

TORONTO, Canada, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –The Canada–Africa Chamber of Business (https://CanadaAfrica.ca) will convene investors, financiers, policymakers, and industry leaders in Cape Town on May 14, 2026 for the Canada–Africa Financing Forum—a high-level platform focused on unlocking capital and accelerating deal flow across African markets.

Registration is open (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships. The program connects leaders from venture capital, private equity, and institutional investors to examine where capital is moving—and where the next opportunities lie—supported by Canadian project partners with proven capacity to deliver on-the-ground.

Delegates will engage directly with finance and investment decision-makers, following the program opening, featuring messages from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in addition to high-level Ministerial representation.

This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation

“This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation,” said Garreth Bloor, President of the Canada–Africa Chamber of Business. “We are convening investors, institutions, and project leaders who are actively shaping transactions across Africa—and connecting them directly with Canadian partners who are ready to work together.”

The Canada–Africa Financing Forum reflects the Chamber’s role as a privately financed, market-led platform advancing Canada-Africa trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.

Why Attend

  • Direct access to active dealmakers and capital allocators
  • Insights into where capital is being deployed and key players delivering major projects
  • Opportunities to build partnerships across Canada and African markets
  • Participation in a curated, high-level environment focused on execution

Secure Your Place

Space is limited and demand is strong.

Apply to secure your place (http://apo-opa.co/4vXb9oz)

Read More and View the Program (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

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Business

ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

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MIR Holding

During the MASA 2026 edition, held from April 11 to 18, 2026, ORUN and 1xBET implemented the We Champion Talent program, an initiative aimed at promoting African talent and advancing the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –As part of the Innovation Village co-organized with MASA at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan from April 14 to 18, ORUN (https://ORUN.Africa) announces the rollout of its partnership with 1xBET to support a creative Africa that is structuring itself, professionalizing, and scaling across the continent.

We aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency

Designed as a space of convergence between heritage, innovation, and knowledge transmission, the Innovation Village features scenography crafted by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses on creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a major institutional highlight on April 17. Its narrative platform is built around three pillars: memory, structure, and transmission. The initiative aims to position cultural and creative industries as an economic driver for the continent.

“The Innovation Village was conceived as an act of construction. By partnering with organizations such as 1xBET, we aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

This vision aligns with ORUN’s broader ambition to produce, structure, and internationalize African creative industries through events, content, and strategic partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ORUN, part of African Currency Network (ACN).

 

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MIR Holding Reaffirms Its Commitment to African Creative Industries Alongside ORUN at Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) 2026

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MIR Holding

More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –On the occasion of MASA 2026, held from April 11 to 18 in Abidjan, MIR Holding (https://MIRHolding.odoo.com) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of African creative industries by partnering with ORUN as part of the Innovation Village, hosted at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan. This presence reflects a clear intention to support the scaling of cultural and creative industries so they can fully contribute to job creation and value generation across the continent.

 

Co-organized by ORUN and MASA, the Innovation Village brought together over several days scenography designed by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses dedicated to creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a key institutional highlight on April 17.

At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains

Built around three pillars — memory, structure, and transmission — the initiative carried a renewed ambition for culture: positioning it as a concrete lever for economic structuring and African projection.

By supporting this initiative, MIR Holding aligns with a broader dynamic aimed at strengthening connections between creation, entrepreneurship, content, youth, and growth ecosystems. More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures. MIR Holding stands among the main partners of the Village, alongside Africa Currency Network and other stakeholders engaged in this vision.

“With ORUN, we are not only seeking to make culture visible. We aim to help provide it with a framework, a reach, and a trajectory. What is at stake here is the continent’s ability to better transform its creative energy into sustainable value, real opportunities, and influence,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

Mouhamed Dieng, President of MIR Holding, added: “Supporting Africa’s creative industries is not about backing a secondary sector. It is about investing in one of the continent’s most powerful spaces for storytelling, youth, innovation, and competitiveness. At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MIR Holding.

 

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