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Meet the African Development Bank’s new Executive Directors, including five women

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African Development Bank

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, welcomed the new representatives of the 20-member Board of Directors

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 12, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has welcomed 12 new Executive Directors, including five women, for a three-year term.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, welcomed the new representatives of the 20-member Board of Directors. They officially joined the Board on 1 August 2022, and began a four-day induction programme on 1 September 2022 to familiarize themselves with the work of the Bank.

“I wish to congratulate you, the new Board members, on your election as Executive Directors, who will have the duty, obligation and responsibility to help strengthen the oversight functions of our institution, to provide guidance on our operations, and to support the vision and direction of our work,” Adesina said.

The number of women on the Board increased from three to five. Malika Dhif, who is the new Executive Director for Morocco, Togo and Tunisia, was previously the Deputy Director of the Treasury and External Finance in Morocco, in charge of relations with the Arab and Islamic world, America, Asia and international institutions. Meanwhile, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad are represented by Chantal Modeste Nonault, a chartered accountant, administrative and financial director of the World Bank regional office in Mali.

I wish to congratulate you, the new Board members, on your election as Executive Directors

Mette Knudsen, a Danish national, represents Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Before her appointment, she was Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The United States of America is represented on the Bank’s Board of Directors by Oren Elaine Whyche, a long-time Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Africa Bureau of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Lastly, Nomfundo Xenia Ngwenya, a South African national, represents South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. She was previously South African company NXN Analytics managing director.

Edmond Raphaël Wega, former Canadian Ambassador to Burkina Faso and Benin, now represents Canada, China, Kuwait, Korea and Turkey on the Bank’s Board of Directors. Brahim Bouzeboudjène, a high-ranking official tasked with combating corruption in Algeria and former Director of the Office of the Prime Minister of Algeria, is the new Executive Director for Algeria, Guinea Bissau and Madagascar.

The Executive Director for Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is the Angolan economist Joao Luis Ngimbi. A former Gabonese Minister of Energy and Secretary General of the Bank of Central African States, Désiré Guedon, is now the Executive Director for Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Gabon, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

Gérard Pascal Bussier, Deputy Financial Secretary in the Mauritius Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, is the new Executive Director for Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius and Zambia. The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan are represented by the Liberian economist Rufus Darkortey. Another economist, Jonathan Nzayikorera from Rwanda, who knows the Bank well after serving as senior advisor to his predecessor, now represents Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The new Board members were appointed following the general election of Executive Directors by the Boards of Governors at the African Development Bank Group’s Annual Meetings held in Accra, Ghana, in May 2022. The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank is composed of 20 members. Thirteen members are elected by the Governors of Regional member countries (54 African countries) and seven by the Governors of non-regional member countries (27 countries). The Executive Directors are elected for a period of three years, renewable once.

The members of the Board of Directors are responsible for the conduct of the general operations of the Bank. They are based at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and meet as often as the work of the Bank requires. The President of the Bank is the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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

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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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