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Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa), Union Chrétienne de Jeunes Gens (YMCA) and Boeing Empower Future Entrepreneurs in Togo

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The JA Company Program in Togo encouraged participants to develop business ideas that address sustainability challenges in their communities

LOMÉ, Togo, March 17, 2026/APO Group/ –Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa) (www.JA-Africa.org), Union Chrétienne de Jeunes Gens Togo (YMCA Togo) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] have delivered entrepreneurship training to 738 high school students in Togo this year.

The JA Company Program in Togo encouraged participants to develop business ideas that address sustainability challenges in their communities. The program included several key entrepreneurship modules, including identifying problems and opportunities, creativity and idea generation, market research, business model design, business plan development, basic financial management, marketing and communications, pitching and project presentation, and sustainable business management.

Through this structured learning, students gained practical skills to identify community needs and create and manage their own businesses responsibly.

“In Africa, young people have the ideas and energy to drive meaningful change,” said Henok Teferra Shawl, Boeing managing director for Africa. “Our partnership with JA Africa has already helped more than 5,000 young people across the continent unlock their potential. I am proud that the program in Togo produced 45 student-led small businesses, creating local economic opportunities in West Africa.”

When young people are given the opportunity to build and run real companies, they begin to see themselves differently — as creators of value and drivers of change

The program culminated in the national youth entrepreneurship competition, held on March 14 in Lomé. Forty students from shortlisted teams, representing ten schools from Lomé and the Maritime region, presented their business projects to a panel of judges.

The grand prize was awarded to SmartAir from CS BAPTISTE, Kangnikopé, which proposed an Intelligent Fan, a ventilation system that automatically activates based on temperature.

“When young people are given the opportunity to build and run real companies, they begin to see themselves differently — as creators of value and drivers of change,” said Vincent Supparayen, director of strategy and development for non-anglophone Africa at Junior Achievement Africa. “Through the JA Company Program, we equip young people in Togo with the entrepreneurial skills and sustainability mindset they need to thrive in their communities.”

“At YMCA Togo, we believe that every young person has the potential to transform their community. The JA Company Program not only provides them with the tools to create and manage a business, but also gives them the opportunity to become sustainable change-makers in their environment,” said Mr. Dodji Kevin FIASHINOU, national president of YMCA-Togo. “We are proud to support these young people in their entrepreneurial journey and to see their ideas come to life in projects that strengthen the local economy.”

JA Africa and Boeing have been partners since 2021, delivering entrepreneurship and sustainability programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and now Togo. Alumni of the programs have consistently demonstrated success, with many launching their own businesses and creating jobs in their communities.

Such outcomes are vital for Africa, home to the world’s fastest-growing youth population. According to the International Labor Organization, young people in Sub-Saharan Africa are more likely than adults to face unemployment or underemployment. In Togo, limited formal job creation has also contributed to irregular migration as young people seek opportunities abroad, a trend highlighted by the World Bank. The program aims to tackle youth unemployment head-on.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa.

 

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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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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