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Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) announce The Gambia First Lady Partnership Journey from 2017 to 2023

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Merck Foundation

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, recently conducted their annual conference, the 9th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”

BANJUL, Gambia, March 11, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) CEO and The Gambia First Lady meet during 9th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 to approve their future strategy and announce their impact report and call for action to build healthcare capacity and empower women & girls in The Gambia. Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with The Gambia First lady and other partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond. Watch the overview of the 2-day Hybrid 9th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 here: https://apo-opa.info/3TbX0kf

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, recently conducted their annual conference, the 9th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”. The conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, and H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” along with African First Ladies of Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Angola and Central Africa.

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”. She is our long-term partner since 2017. We had a long meeting during 9th edition of our Luminary to discuss our joint programs and strategy and report its impact. I am proud to share that together we have provided 34 scholarships to young Gambian doctors in many critical and underserved specialties including Fertility & Embryology, Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Sexual & Reproductive Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine. Together, we are making history in The Gambia by providing training to first specialists in many fields such as Oncology, Respiratory, Fertility, Embryology, Reproductive Care, Diabetes, Endocrinology and more.”

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” emphasized, “Our partnership journey is growing from strength to strength as we have achieved many important and significant milestones since 2017, when I hosted Merck Foundation CEO and together, we launched the programs in my country. Together we have been able to provide 34 medical scholarships to our young doctors. We consider it to be a very high number for our country and will contribute significantly to The Gambia’s health security and its economic and social development.

Together we are also working on various initiatives to raise awareness about critical social and health issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, supporting Girl Education, Stopping GBV, Ending Child Marriage & FGM, diabetes & hypertension awareness. We have launched together 7 children’s storybooks on these issues to sensitize them from young ages. Furthermore, we have also launched awards of best media, song, film and fashion designs to encourage our journalists and artists to raise awareness on these important topics”.

Watch partnership journey of Merck Foundation with The Gambia First Lady: https://apo-opa.info/3ZRFC6M

Watch the video of The First Lady of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” during the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 here: https://apo-opa.info/3ZIAPou

On day 2 of the Luminary, Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative- MFFLI committee meeting was also conducted between The First Ladies and Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO. During the MFFLI committee meeting, the future strategy of 2023 was discussed and the impact of their partnership programs since 2017, were announced.  

“I personally enjoyed our reading session of Children’s storybooks created by Merck Foundation, ‘Jackline’s Rescue’ – to focus on the importance of Girl Education and highlight the immoral practices of society including child marriage & dowry system; and ‘A Ride Into The Future’ – to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education. It was my favorite part of MFFLI committee, I hope we keep doing this every year”, Senator Rasha Kelej emphasized.

Watch the video of MFFLI committee meeting: https://apo-opa.info/3T9pRph  

During the Luminary, an important one to one meeting between The First Lady of The Gambia and Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej was held to discuss the impact of on-going programs and define strategies to further build healthcare and media capacity in The Gambia.

Watch the video of Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej receiving The Gambia First Lady, H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW: https://apo-opa.info/3mMd14s  

Together with The Gambia First Lady, Merck Foundation has made history by providing 34 scholarships so far, out of which 19 scholarships have been provided for Fertility Training and one year Post Graduate Diploma, two-year Master degree in Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, to be the first specialists in The Gambia.

Moreover, 5 scholarships have been provided for Diabetes specialty training, 2 scholarships for the Oncology Fellowship program, 7 scholarships for One Year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Acute Medicine and Respiratory Medicine and also 1 scholarship for Two years PG Diploma in Neonatal Medicine, to also be the first specialists in their country.

“Merck Foundation has always believed in the importance of building healthcare capacity and has been working towards this since 2012. We will continue to provide medical training to Gambian doctors in various medical specialties in partnership with the First Lady of The Gambia“, assured Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Merck Foundation also announced the Call for applications for their 8 important awards in partnership with The First Lady of The Gambia

Merck Foundation in partnership with The Gambia First Lady has also initiated their program “Educating Linda”, to support the education of 20 underprivileged but brilliant schoolgirls by providing scholarships till they graduate. Moreover, 3000 sets of essential school items were provided to Gambian school-going girls.

Moreover, Merck Foundation together with The First Lady of Gambia conducted their online Health Media Training and also celebrated the winners of the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards. The training was conducted to emphasize on the important and critical role of media to sensitize the communities about the social and health issues such as: breaking infertility stigma, ending child marriage, supporting girl education and diabetes & hypertension prevention and early detection.

Merck Foundation also announced the Call for applications for their 8 important awards in partnership with The First Lady of The Gambia for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.

Merck Foundation in partnership with The Gambia First Lady has also launched an empowering song to break the stigma around infertility in Africa and the rest of the world as part of ‘More than a Mother’ community awareness campaign. The song urges men to support their wives during the treatment journey of building a family and delivers an important message ‘Fertility is a Shared Responsibility’. It has been written and composed by Sunita, a young female artist from The Gambia.

Link to the song: https://apo-opa.info/3Fg2IMj

The 9th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 was streamed live on the social media handles of Merck Foundation (https://apo-opa.info/3Ykd3hH) and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (https://apo-opa.info/3SfA0AF).

Link to the Facebook live steam of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary & African First Ladies High Level Panel: https://apo-opa.info/3J96Kay

Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with its partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through:

• 1470 + Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for doctors from 50 Countries in 32 critical and underserved medical specialties.  

Merck Foundation is also creating a culture shift and breaking the silence about a wide range of social and health issues in Africa and underserved communities through:

• 2200 + Media Persons from more than 50 countries trained to better raise Awareness about different social and health issues

• 8 Different Awards Launched annually for best media coverage, fashion designers, films, and songs

• Around 30 songs to address health and social issues by local singers across Africa

• 8 Children’s Storybooks in three languages – English, French, and Portuguese

• Pan African TV Program “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” addressing Social and Health Issues in Africa through “Fashion and ART with Purpose” Community

• 1000+ Girls from 15 African countries supported through scholarships or school items, annually.

• 9 Social Media Channels with more than 5 Million Followers.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

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SLB commissions new fluids systems plant in Pemba to support Mozambique’s offshore energy development

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October 9, 2026

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Mozambique

New facility expands in-country drilling and completion fluids capability, advancing the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique

PEMBA, Mozambique, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –SLB (NYSE: SLB) (www.SLB.com) announced the opening of a new fluids systems plant in Pemba, Mozambique. The new facility strengthens in-country capacity to prepare, store and deliver drilling and completion fluids for offshore operations, reinforcing the infrastructure needed as Mozambique’s offshore activity grows and its role as a strategic energy hub for East Africa continues to expand.

The commissioning of the plant, also known as a liquid mud plant, coincides with SLB marking 70 years of operations in Mozambique. It reflects the company’s long-term commitment to investing in people, infrastructure and capability that support the country’s long-term offshore energy development plans.

 




  

With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the liquid mud plant provides a scalable platform for future growth, supporting multiple customers and rising offshore activity while improving logistics and enhancing operational flexibility.

As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions

“As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions,” said Miguel Baptista, Central, East and Southern Africa, Managing Director, SLB. The new liquid mud plant strengthens local energy infrastructure, expands opportunities for local content development, and enhances our ability to support customers as they deliver some of Africa’s most significant offshore energy resources.”

The liquid mud plant project was delivered with strong local participation and that momentum is expected to continue into operations. During project delivery, more than 100 jobs were created in Pemba with nationals representing 80% of the workforce, reflecting a focus on building local capability.

The project was delivered with a strong focus on safety, operational integrity, and quality, achieving more than 67,000 hours worked without a recordable safety incident.

This key infrastructure strengthens SLB’s ability to support consistent service quality and enhance supply chain readiness for increasing offshore activity across Mozambique, supporting customers execute safely and efficiently while developing local skills and expertise.

Key Points:

  • SLB has commissioned a new fluids system plant in Pemba, expanding in-country drilling and completion fluids capability for offshore operations.
  • With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the facility provides a scalable platform to support growing offshore activity in Mozambique.
  • The investment marks the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique, strengthening local capability and supporting long-term offshore energy development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of SLB.

 

 




 

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South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) welcomes 4,600 MW battery storage prioritisation and calls for integrated energy planning

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October 9, 2026

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Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –The South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) (www.SAESA.org.za) welcomes the prioritisation of 4,600 MW of battery energy storage under the first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 Section 34 determination.

 




  

The timing is significant. Recent Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) modelling and assumptions discussions highlighted a fundamental shift that South Africa’s energy planning now needs to capture: we cannot plan the future power system by counting megawatts of generation alone.

We must plan for when energy is available, where it is available, how it moves through a constrained grid and how it is stored and dispatched when the system needs it most.

The announcement reinforces that shift. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply.

For SAESA, the message for the IEP is clear: storage, flexibility and system services must be modelled as integral components of South Africa’s future electricity architecture, with their contribution considered from the outset of generation planning.

“The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited,” says SAESA.

The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited

Partnership with C&I Energy + Storage Summit

SAESA is an association partner of the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, created by VUKA Group, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg.

The summit brings together commercial and industrial energy users, project developers, financiers, regulators and solution providers to explore practical approaches to energy security, procurement and storage deployment.

For businesses assessing how storage can support their operations, the event offers an opportunity to meet SAESA and engage with the wider energy community on the decisions shaping South Africa’s evolving electricity system.

Commercial and industrial energy decision-makers are invited to apply to attend as hosted buyers. Qualifying buyers receive complimentary summit access and curated opportunities to engage with industry partners.

 

Meet SAESA at C&I Energy + Storage Summit: Join the Hosted Buyer Programme

The Hosted Buyer Programme connects commercial and industrial energy decision-makers with solution providers shaping South Africa’s evolving private energy market.

Qualified energy buyers receive complimentary access to the summit and curated engagement with industry partners exploring energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.

Apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme (https://apo-opa.co/4ehLijJ)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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Afreximbank welcomes launch of Africa Credit Rating Agency as an important step in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture

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18 hours ago

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October 9, 2026

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Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, October 8, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcomes today’s launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and expanding the continent’s capacity to generate credible, independent analysis of African credit risk.

 




 
 

Credit ratings play an important role in determining access to capital, influencing investor perceptions and shaping the cost at which governments, institutions and businesses can finance development. It is therefore essential that assessments of African credit risk are independent, rigorous and evidence-based, while reflecting a complete understanding of the structures, institutions and economic realities being assessed.

The establishment of AfCRA adds an important African-led source of credit opinion to the market. Its value will not be measured by whether it produces more favourable ratings, but by the credibility of its analysis, the quality of its data and transparency of its methodology, and its ability to deepen understanding of African sovereigns, sub-sovereigns and corporate credit.

This is particularly important given that many African issuers remain unrated, while local-currency and sub-sovereign markets continue to have limited rating coverage. Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets.

AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans

Alongside fellow members of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), Afreximbank has consistently maintained that African Multilateral Financial Institutions should be assessed on the basis of their fundamentals, performance, legal frameworks, mandates and operating models. Ensuring that these institutional characteristics are properly understood is essential to achieving informed, balanced and credible assessments of African risk.

Commenting on the uniqueness of the African market, and need for AfCRA’s rating methodology to reflect this, Mr Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President, Afreximbank, said: “The rating methodology AfCRA develops must recognise the uniqueness of our environment and its institutional structures. The Agency must set its own standards and not follow those set elsewhere — it must build a unique identity that conforms to an ‘African best practice.”

Highlighting the need for the autonomy of the Africa Credit Rating agency as it takes off, Mr Denya added: “Most importantly, AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans. We must all use it, and in return expect a complete assessment of where we (Africa) stand: the strengths the market has ignored, and the weaknesses we still need to fix.”

AfCRA should therefore be seen as complementary to existing international and regional rating agencies, broadening the range of credible analysis available to investors and issuers while strengthening competition, transparency and analytical capacity within Africa’s credit markets.

As Africa seeks to mobilise the scale of capital required for industrialisation, trade, infrastructure and economic transformation, credible African institutions that improve information, strengthen market confidence and deepen the continent’s financial markets will become increasingly important.

Afreximbank congratulates the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and all those involved in bringing AfCRA from concept to launch, and looks forward to the contribution the Agency will make to deeper, more transparent and more efficient African capital markets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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