Following an agreement forged during the Namibian International Energy Conference in 2022, a youth training initiative launched by Namibia and Equatorial Guinea has set the tone for an ambitious local content drive that will position Namibia as a competitive hydrocarbon producer
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, January 4, 2023/APO Group/ —
Namibia, as an upcoming hydrocarbon producer, and Equatorial Guinea, as one of Africa’s top natural gas producers, have taken the lead towards positioning Africa as a globally competitive oil and gas producer, leveraging intra-African partnerships and cooperation to scale up the local workforce.
Following sizable oil and gas discoveries made in Namibia in 2022, the two countries forged an agreement during the Namibian International Energy Conference (NIEC) 2022 that saw four Namibian engineers receive training at the Equatorial Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (EG LNG) facility. This program has been significant, both for Namibia’s future oil and gas industry and for Africa’s energy sector at large, and the African Energy Chamber (AEC) commends both countries on this bold initiative.
During the NIEC 2022, Hon. Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, announced the training partnership with H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons. Hon. Minister Alweendo visited Equatorial Guinea and worked with his counterpart to kick off the training of Namibians.
To date, four Namibian engineers have received training at EG LNG, owned by Marathon Oil, Chevron and the Equatorial Guinean government. In addition to receiving exploration and production training at the facility, the engineers were trained at the associated Methanol Facility and the Turbo Gas Facility at the Punta Europa Complex.
It is good to see energy companies in Equatorial Guinea taking the lead in the training and development of Namibian youth
The Namibian engineers also received training on various operational matters from British independent Trident Energy, known for operational efficiency and production improvements. Trident is the operator of Block G, which includes the producing Ceiba and Okume Complex fields — made up of six oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea, in shallow and deep water in the Rio Muni basin.
This training has not only signaled a new era of intra-African energy collaboration and partnerships but has opened up significant opportunities for Namibia to position itself as a globally competitive oil producer on the back of south-south cooperation.
With both countries having placed local content at the center of their developmental strategies, this training initiative marks the start of a new era of hydrocarbon growth in Africa on the back of cooperation and collaboration. Long-term, Equatorial Guinea is committed to establishing itself as a regional energy hub, leveraging ambitious local content initiatives to develop a strong and competitive hydrocarbon market in-country. Similarly, Namibia, at the start of its hydrocarbon journey, has recognized the role local content will play in making energy poverty history while kick starting industrialization and economic prosperity. As such, the country has introduced proactive local content policies, with the Equatorial Guinean training initiative only furthering this agenda.
“It is good to see energy companies in Equatorial Guinea taking the lead in the training and development of Namibian youth. EG LNG, Trident Energy, Chevron, Marathon Oil should be given huge credit, incentive and encouraged to do more. It is important for young Africans. Energy companies are our partners, and we must support them as we push for Namibian energy growth,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the AEC.
The training initiative followed Shell’s Graff-1 discovery and TotalEnergies Venus discovery made merely weeks apart in February 2022, unlocking up to four billion barrels of recoverable reserves combined. The discoveries were significant, with their associated developments set to double Namibia’s GDP by 2040. Shortly thereafter, the country took a proactive approach to get advanced training from U.S. and regional firms, with the government eager to bring these projects online as soon as possible. In this scenario, Equatorial Guinea emerged as the obvious partner, with the country hosting a suite of global energy majors and large-scale hydrocarbon developments alike.
Owing to sizeable domestic oil and gas reserves, as well as an accelerated drive by the government to monetize regional untapped reserves, Equatorial Guinea has put in motion a series of large-scale projects such as the Punta Europa LNG Terminal – comprising Train 1, producing 3.7 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG, and Train 2, set to produce up to 4.4 mtpa once completed – the wider Punta Europa Gas Complex – comprising Methanol and Turbo Gas Facilities – and the Central African Pipeline System. These projects have enabled the country to export gas worldwide, with Equatorial Guinea serving as a key supplier of gas to Europe in the ongoing gas crisis. In this scenario, companies such as Marathon Oil, Sonagas, ExxonMobil and Panoro have been key, and offer Namibia unparalleled insight into developing and operating large-scale projects.
“What Minister Alweendo and Obiang Lima have done should be commended. They have demonstrated the role that intra-African energy cooperation will play in Africa’s energy future. Equatorial Guinea, with its expertise as an oil and gas player, offers Namibia the knowledge and training that the country needs to develop a thriving domestic oil and gas industry. Through this training initiative, both countries have prioritized local content, developing the local industry and getting young people ready to lead oil and gas exploration and production. At the AEC, we are proud to see what Namibia and Equatorial Guinea are doing and want to see more African states following suit,” concluded Ayuk.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Week (AEW).
For Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest interconnected, vendor- and cloud-neutral data centre platform, the collaboration strengthens its service portfolio by enhancing performance and expanding connectivity options within its facilities
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa Data Centres (www.AfricaDataCentres.com), a business of Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage, has partnered with fibre optic cable infrastructure provider Oni-Tel Fibre Networks to strengthen connectivity across its Gauteng facilities. Under the agreement, Oni-Tel will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to Africa Data Centres’ Midrand and Samrand campuses through its Infinity fibre interconnection platform.
Purpose-built for data centre interconnectivity on a resilient network with direct access to Gauteng’s key data centre hubs, this provides customers with fast, high-capacity bandwidth and secure, carrier-grade performance, supporting the levels of uptime required in today’s data-driven environments.
Our partnership with Africa Data Centres enables us to deliver our premium fibre interconnection solution into some of the most strategically important data centre hubs in Gauteng
“As enterprises accelerate cloud adoption, AI deployment, and data-intensive workloads, they need dependable, scalable connectivity within trusted local data centres. By partnering with Oni-Tel, we’re giving our customers access to enhanced fibre infrastructure that supports their growth and innovation, while maintaining secure, enterprise-grade environments for businesses navigating South Africa’s digital economy,” said Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Africa Data Centres.
For Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest interconnected, vendor- and cloud-neutral data centre platform, the collaboration strengthens its service portfolio by enhancing performance and expanding connectivity options within its facilities. Customers gain greater interconnection choice, high-availability architecture, seamless bandwidth, and the ability to scale efficiently as their infrastructure requirements grow.
“Our partnership with Africa Data Centres enables us to deliver our premium fibre interconnection solution into some of the most strategically important data centre hubs in Gauteng. Through Infinity, customers benefit from ultra-low latency connectivity, scalable capacity, and secure, carrier-grade infrastructure designed to keep their businesses ahead in an extremely competitive digital landscape,” said Ellisha Gobind, Chief Commercial Officer at Oni-Tel.
Africa Data Centres’ facilities across the continent serve as key interconnection hubs, supporting enterprises, cloud service providers, financial institutions, mobile network operators, fixed network operators, and other users. Oni-Tel’s dark fibre solution further expands the range of carrier-neutral options available to Gauteng customers, enabling improved network speed and performance.
As demand for secure, high-performance digital infrastructure continues to rise, Africa Data Centres remains focused on building a robust, interconnected ecosystem that supports enterprise innovation and long-term growth across South Africa and the wider region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Data Centres.
The memoir also reflects on the challenges that came with building at such speed, including the pressures of scaling a global company, regulatory scrutiny as the industry matured, and CZ’s personal experience serving a four month sentence in a U.S. federal prison
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Few figures have been as closely associated with the rise of the cryptocurrency industry as Binance (www.Binance.com) co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ). In his new memoir, Freedom of Money, A Memoir of Protecting Users, Resilience, and the Founding of Binance, CZ offers a candid account of the early days of crypto, the rapid explosion of Binance, and the personal consequences of building at the centre of one of the fastest moving industries in modern finance.
Available globally from 08th April 2026 on Amazon Kindle and Paperback, Freedom of Money traces CZ’s journey from his early life and unconventional path into technology through the founding and rapid growth of Binance during a period when the cryptocurrency industry was expanding at unprecedented speed.
Part memoir and part reflection on the evolution of digital assets, the book offers readers a builder’s perspective on what it was like to grow a global platform in a new industry where the rules were still being written.
“While many people congratulated me on being number one, something else gave me more satisfaction,” CZ writes in the book. “I was getting messages from users all around the world thanking us for providing them with financial access or even financial freedom.”
The memoir also reflects on the challenges that came with building at such speed, including the pressures of scaling a global company, regulatory scrutiny as the industry matured, and CZ’s personal experience serving a four month sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
“This memoir is not a sanitized corporate story,” CZ said. “It reflects on what it was like to build during a time when the crypto industry was still taking shape – the successes, the mistakes, and the lessons that came from both.”
Freedom of Money offers a founder’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities that shaped digital assets during their formative years
Alongside the events that defined CZ’s career, Freedom of Money explores broader themes of money, technology and responsibility, and how his views on financial freedom have evolved over time.
Reflecting on a Defining Period in Crypto
Over the past decade, Binance has played a significant role in the growth of the digital asset ecosystem, helping support the development of infrastructure used by millions of users globally.
Freedom of Money provides CZ’s personal perspective on that period of rapid innovation and expansion in the cryptocurrency industry.
Richard Teng, Co-CEO of Binance, said: “The story of Binance is closely tied to the early evolution of the crypto industry. Freedom of Money offers a founder’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities that shaped digital assets during their formative years.”
Yi He, Co-Ceo of Binance, added: “The early days of crypto were fast-moving and full of possibility, even if not always fully understood. This book captures the energy of building in that moment and the incredible progress the industry has made since.”
Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer at Binance, said: “For many people, the story of crypto has been told through headlines and market cycles. What this book offers is a first person account from someone who helped build the infrastructure behind the industry’s growth.
Availability
Freedom of Money (https://apo-opa.co/4muGafd) is available globally 08 April 2026 on Amazon Kindle and Paperback.
The book is published in English and Chinese, with additional translations under consideration.
All proceeds from CZ’s authorship of the book will be donated to charity
At AEW 2026, Senegal’s Energy Minister Birame Soulèye Diop is expected to outline Senegal’s integrated hydrocarbons, gas and power strategy at AEW
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Senegal is reinforcing the policy architecture behind its new hydrocarbons era, with the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines launching reforms to the legal framework for local content in the extractive sector in March 2026. The reforms are aimed at improving national value retention while maintaining momentum on upstream and infrastructure development.
The move comes as Dakar works to translate first oil and first gas into broader industrial growth, stronger domestic participation and long-term energy security. Against this backdrop, Birame Soulèye Diop, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, will speak at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from October 12-16 – where he is expected to present Senegal’s roadmap for balancing investor engagement, gas monetization and sovereign energy development.
Minister Diop represents the kind of pragmatic African leadership that is turning resource potential into real economic transformation
In January 2026, 3.8 million barrels of crude oil were exported from the Sangomar field, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project is expected to nearly double its LNG cargoes in 2026 as the FLNG ramp‑up continues. Beyond current production, Senegal is also pushing to expand its resource pipeline. Petrosen has announced plans for a $100 million onshore exploration program in 2026, while the government has also signaled a stronger strategic focus on Yakaar-Teranga, with Senegalese investors encouraged to take a greater role in developing the 25 trillion cubic feet gas resource to prioritize domestic needs while keeping export optionality on the table.
Dakar is now focused on the next phase: using domestic gas resources to lower electricity costs, improve fuel security and support industrial competitiveness. A key pillar of this strategy is the 250 MW Gandon power plant, expected to be supplied through new gas infrastructure linked to the GTA system, alongside the broader Cap des Biches and northern gas corridor buildout. At the same time, Dakar is continuing to strengthen the regulatory foundations of its power transition. In March 2026, the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines validated Senegal’s first national standards for solar photovoltaic equipment, a move designed to improve quality, safety and performance as the country scales renewable energy deployment in parallel with oil and gas infrastructure.
At AEW 2026, Minister Diop is expected to provide strategic insight into how Senegal is navigating the transition from discovery and commissioning to full-scale execution. His participation is set to reinforce Senegal as one of the few frontier African producers pursuing an integrated model that combines hydrocarbons, gas-to-power and renewables under a single national development agenda.
“Minister Diop represents the kind of pragmatic African leadership that is turning resource potential into real economic transformation. Senegal is showing how first oil and first gas can become the basis for industrial growth, stronger regional integration and long-term energy security and his insights will bring great value to AEW 2026,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
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