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Reimagining Africa’s Trade Corridors: A Blueprint for Integration, Growth, and Resilience

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African nations can unlock the full value of AfCFTA and empower traders, especially small businesses, to participate in cross-border commerce with confidence

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, October 13, 2025/APO Group/ —

As global trade dynamics shift and economic gravity increasingly tilts toward the Global South, Africa stands at a pivotal moment. Home to 1.4 billion people and abundant in natural resources, the continent still contributes less than 3% of global trade and GDP, despite comprising 17% of the world’s population. This mismatch underscores the urgency of transforming Africa’s trade landscape. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched on January 1, 2021, represents a historic opportunity to unify markets and boost intra-African commerce from today’s 16% to levels exceeding 50%, similar to the EU and Asia.

“Yet realizing this promise demands more than ambition or trade agreements. It requires reimagining and reconstructing the arteries of African commerce, its trade corridors. More than railways, roads, and ports, these corridors must become integrated ecosystems supporting industrialization, digital trade, green growth, and resilience against global shocks” adds Sheetal Kumar, Head of Client Coverage, Corporate and Institutional Banking.

The legacy challenge: colonial corridors in a modern age

Africa’s existing trade corridors, such as the Abidjan–Lagos Coastal Corridor, the Northern Corridor from Mombasa, and the Central Corridor from Dar es Salaam, were built to extract resources, not to foster regional integration. As a result, intra-African trade remains stubbornly low. Trade costs are among the highest in the world, up to 283% of the value of goods, according to the World Bank, due to poor infrastructure, border inefficiencies, and misaligned regulations.

Whereas early momentum has been promising, with intra-African trade reaching USD 208 billion in 2024 (a 7.7% increase year-on-year), only a fraction stays within the continent. Compared to over 60% in Asia and 70% in the EU, Africa’s internal trade flows highlight a massive opportunity gap.

Closing this gap demands reengineering corridors for speed, resilience, and reliability. For example, freight-demand projections from the UN Economic Commission for Africa forecast a 28% increase in intra-African freight volumes by 2030, requiring upgrades to more than 60,000 km of critical road links.

Strategic corridors in a fragmented world

The concept of geoeconomic fragmentation—countries restructuring trade around political blocs—poses new risks for Africa. Up to half of Africa’s external trade is vulnerable under such scenarios, potentially reducing GDP by 4% over a decade. Political feuds and regional disputes further undermine the AfCFTA’s integration goals.

Africa’s response must be bold yet pragmatic:

  • Connector Strategy: Corridors should serve as bridges between geopolitical blocs—like Vietnam or Mexico in global supply chains. Banks can help structure corridors as transit hubs that bridge Eastern and Western trade blocs, providing thermal-buffer zones against geopolitical shocks.
  • Corridor Clusters: Align regional corridors with diverse investor pools to hedge against geopolitical shocks. Countries aligned with one bloc can still integrate regionally—Banks’ financing structures can then insulate such corridors with diversified investor pools across blocs.
  • Risk Mitigation: Deploy political risk insurance, trade guarantees, and alternative route financing to navigate disruptions.

Financial institutions such as Bank One are critical in structuring such corridor models, insulating against global uncertainties while facilitating inclusive regional growth.

From trade agreements to trade highways

The AfCFTA aims to eliminate tariffs on 97% of goods and boost intra-African trade by over 100% by 2035. But translating this potential into real-world outcomes requires functioning corridors. Ports like Berbera in Somaliland, where DP World has invested USD 442 million, show what’s possible when infrastructure, policy, and capital align. Similarly, the Maputo Container Terminal’s USD 165 million expansion will double its capacity and position it as a key Southern Africa–Gulf trade node.

These are more than projects; they are blueprints. Corridor development must integrate:

  • Multimodal Transport: Seamless interlinking of rail, road, air, and ports.
  • Industrial Clusters: Anchoring corridors to zones of manufacturing, agribusiness, or services.
  • Digital Platforms: Smart logistics, e-customs, blockchain, and IoT for real-time visibility.
  • Green Infrastructure: Electric transport, resilient materials, and carbon-linked financing.

For example, the Lobito Corridor railway and the Tanzania–Zambia line highlight multimodal possibilities. When paired with inland logistics hubs, dry ports, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), corridors evolve into engines of regional value creation.

Digitalization: enabling real-time trade

Digital transformation is the nervous system of Africa’s future trade. Initiatives linking customs, payment, and logistics systems can eliminate bottlenecks and improve compliance. Fintech collaborations between African banks and Gulf-based tech firms have already produced pilots in real-time shipment tracking, smart customs clearance, and blockchain authentication.

These corridors must become integrated ecosystems supporting industrialization, digital trade, green growth, and resilience against global shocks

Mauritius, Africa’s rising digital and financial hub, is leading on this front. Banks are at different stages of deploying:

  • Cross-border digital trade finance platforms
  • SME-focused digital banking packages
  • Seamless payment systems tailored for fragmented regional markets

By scaling up these tools, African nations can unlock the full value of AfCFTA and empower traders, especially small businesses, to participate in cross-border commerce with confidence.

Green corridors: sustainability and resilience

With climate change increasingly disrupting transport, whether through floods in West Africa or heat-induced pavement failures in the East, corridor design must evolve. Africa cannot afford infrastructure that collapses under climate pressure.

Green trade corridors are not a luxury, they are essential. This means:

  • Electric vehicle and freight systems
  • Solar-powered logistics centers
  • Flood-resistant bridges and climate-resilient roads
  • Green bonds and blended climate finance

Banks like Bank One are mobilizing ESG-aligned financing, green bonds, and climate-friendly loan structures to support corridor projects that are future-ready and emissions-resilient. For investors, these green corridors also de-risk returns by aligning with global sustainability mandates.

Middle East–Africa Trade: A rising nexus

The Middle East is emerging as a vital strategic and financial partner. From DP World to Gulf sovereign-wealth funds, the region is channeling billions into African ports, renewable energy, and logistics infrastructure.

Between 2019 and 2023, Emirati entities committed USD 110 billion to African projects—USD 72 billion of which went to renewables. DP World alone plans to invest USD 3 billion more in African trade infrastructure by 2029.

Financial institutions with a regional reach are strategically positioned to serve this axis, offering:

  • Sharia-compliant financial products
  • Correspondent banking across MEA corridors
  • Multi-currency trade finance solutions tailored for Gulf investors

In our experience, Mauritius’s regulatory regime, double-taxation treaties, and strategic geographic location positions banks such as Bank One as a trusted platform for cross-border investment flows between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. We further leverage our shareholders’ footprint across Africa, Asia and the Middle East to gain critical market knowledge, investors access and convening power.

Financing the dream: innovation over aid

Traditional public-sector financing won’t be enough. Mobilizing capital requires:

  • Blended finance models combining development funds, private equity, and ECAs.
  • Syndicated loans led by regional banks and development finance institutions (DFIs).
  • Outcome-linked pricing, where interest rates reflect performance on climate or logistics benchmarks.
  • Public–private partnerships with clear governance and transparent risk-sharing.

Context-specific solutions and understanding of the local terrain is key. For Bank One we draw great benefits from being backed by strong local shareholders, East Africa’s I&M Group and Mauritius’s CIEL Group, both of whom have been pivotal in shaping our robust track record in structuring corridor investments across the continent. Our unique combination of Sub-Saharan expertise and international finance capabilities enables us to design bankable, and scalable solutions for corridor development.

The human dividend: policy, SMEs, and youth

Infrastructure without people-centric development is hollow. The true test of corridor success lies in how it transforms lives.

  • Policy Harmonization: Regulatory alignment is critical guided by the common interests of the people which should transcend political interest. AfCFTA rules must work uniformly across corridor countries for the principal benefit of the African traders among other actors.
  • SME Empowerment: Trade must include informal traders, women-led businesses, and youth entrepreneurs. We must ensure that Africa’s factories, mines, farms and service hubs can truly access markets from Cairo to Cape Town, and from Lagos to the Gulf.
  • Workforce Development: Corridors should generate jobs not just in construction but in logistics, fintech, agribusiness, and services.

Every one-point gain in corridor efficiency represents millions in GDP and tens of thousands of jobs. From Addis Ababa to Accra, from Port Louis to Port Harcourt, from Nairobi to Nouakchott, Dar es Salaam to Dakar, from Cape to Cairo to Casablanca, from Luanda to Lagos, Mombasa to Maputo, from Gaborone to Giza to the Gulf and beyond… efficient corridors can be lifelines—reducing emigration, boosting income, and expanding opportunity. This resonates with our core mission and purpose at Bank One: Empowering Your Prosperity.

From fragmentation to fusion, from pathways to prosperity

Africa’s trade corridors must not fall victim to a fragmented world order; they must rise above it. By building flexible, digitized, green, and strategically aligned corridors, and financing them through innovative, inclusive models; Africa can unlock a new era of trade-led growth.

Corridors are no longer just about transport; they are about transformation. With Banks like Bank One as financial architects, Mauritius as a bridge, and AfCFTA as the blueprint, Africa has all the ingredients to reimagine its future. Let us move, not just goods, but ideas, investment, and hope, along the pathways to shared prosperity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Bank One Limited.

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Sierra Leone’s PDSL to Host Strategic Investor Roundtable at Paris Energy Forum

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1 day ago

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March 24, 2026

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Energy Capital

The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone will lead a targeted roundtable at Invest in African Energy 2026, spotlighting upstream potential and cross-regional partnerships

PARIS, France, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ –The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) is set to convene an investor roundtable at Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum 2026 in Paris, underscoring growing interest in West and North African energy markets and the need for deeper capital engagement across exploration, renewable and offshore services. The session reflects a strategic effort by Sierra Leone to connect its emerging upstream prospects with established operators and project developers as the country moves to unlock the full potential of its emerging oil and gas industry.

 

Sierra Leone is increasingly positioning itself as a frontier oil and gas market with significant offshore potential, and part of the PDSL’s mandate is to catalyze investment interest in its offshore acreage through direct engagement with global capital. Recent data suggest the country holds estimated recoverable resources in the tens of billions of barrels, backed by discoveries and extensive multi‑client seismic datasets that prospective investors are evaluating. The PDSL is actively promoting licensing opportunities and drilling plans, emphasizing fiscal terms and exploration readiness to attract strategic partners.

 

A cornerstone of this strategy is the anticipated launch of the country’s sixth licensing round. Offering a rare early-entry opportunity into a largely untapped deepwater terrain with considerable upside, the upcoming bid round is backed by fresh 3D datasets which de-risk exploration and support new drilling campaigns. Just this month, GeoPartners announced that the final Pre-Stack Time Migration data for its recently acquired 3D multi-client seismic survey in the country was complete and is now available for licensing. The dataset provides a 3D window into the hydrocarbon potential of the underexplored northern Sierra Leone region.

 

Sierra Leone’s licensing drive comes as major operators advance exploration activities. In 2025, Eni signed a Reconnaissance Permit Agreement with the PDSL, securing rights to conduct reconnaissance and technical evaluation activities across offshore blocks G113, G129, G130, G131 and G132. The acreage covers 6,790 square kilometers within Sierra Leone’s territorial waters. Nigeria’s F.A. Oil Limited is pursuing drilling following its award of six offshore blocks through the country’s fifth licensing round in 2023. The company is currently seeking a farm-in partner to advance the project from exploration to production, offering a 40% stake in each of the G Blocks 53, 54, 55, 71, 72 and 73.

 

As these development unfold, the upcoming roundtable at IAE 2026 offers a unique opportunity for operators and policymakers to engage potential investors. The IAE 2026 Forum has become a strategic bridge between African upstream opportunities and global investors, with sessions like the PDSL roundtable designed to foster deeper dialogue and provide clarity on project pipelines and investment prerequisites. Discussions are expected to cover mechanisms for de‑risking exploration activity, optimizing fiscal and contractual frameworks and identifying synergies between hydrocarbon investment and renewable energy commitments.

 

For investors seeking differentiated exposure to African energy markets, the Sierra Leone roundtable represents both a focused exploration of frontier oil potential and a broader conversation about regional infrastructure, partnerships and the evolving demands of energy capital in the years ahead.

 

IAE 2026 (www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com) is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Cape Town Prepares for African Mining Week 2026 as Draft Program Reveals Continent’s Mineral Drive

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March 24, 2026

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Energy Capital

African Mining Week returns for its 2026 edition with an expanded three-day program, bringing together African mining leaders and global partners to shape the future of the continent’s mining sector

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ –Global economic trends – from record-breaking commodity prices to intensifying geopolitical competition for resources – are reshaping the strategic importance of Africa’s mineral wealth. As global countries race to secure supply chains for energy transition metals – which are expected to triple by 2030 – Africa is positioning its 30% share of the world’s critical minerals as a key pillar of economic growth. African governments are modernizing mining codes, developing industrial corridors and investing in mineral processing facilities to support local beneficiation, job creation, workforce development and regional mineral markets.

 

Against this backdrop, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) Conference & Exhibition – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders – has launched the draft program for its 2026 edition {https://apo-opa.co/3NneKLj}. Scheduled to take place October 14–16 in Cape Town, the event provides a platform where policymakers, global investors, project operators, technology providers, academia and mining service companies examine Africa’s mining opportunities, challenges and long-term strategic direction.

Under the theme ‘Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value’, the three-day, multi-track agenda reflects the growing urgency among African markets to strengthen value addition across the mining value chain.

Regional Cooperation and Policy Alignment in Focus

A key feature of the agenda is the Ministerial Forum, where African mining ministers will provide updates on regulatory reforms and policy alignment initiatives aimed at unlocking greater value from the continent’s mineral resources. Discussions will examine how harmonized regulatory frameworks and regional cooperation can accelerate investment flows and strengthen Africa’s position in global mineral supply chains.

The inclusion of regional policy integration reflects a growing continental push to leverage frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance cross-border mineral cooperation and trade.

We are acting to enhance regional integration through frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the Africa Mineral Strategy Group

“Africa’s integration is not only a political objective but a strategic economic vision,” stated Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, in remarks reported by Energy Capital & Power – organizers of AMW – in February 2026. “Our natural resources require coordinated policies. Isolated legal frameworks cannot fully unlock their value. Through integration and initiatives such as the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] Mining Code and the African Mining Vision, we can build a stronger and more competitive mineral economy.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Henry Alake, echoed this emphasis on regional cooperation and beneficiation.

“We are acting to enhance regional integration through frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the Africa Mineral Strategy Group,” he stated. “We must develop mineral corridors that connect resources, infrastructure and markets across the continent. Our goal is not to simply export raw materials, but to develop industrial hubs that create jobs and value across borders.”

Connecting Global Investors with African Opportunities

Strategic roundtables and Country Focus sessions form a key part of the AMW 2026 program, connecting African mining jurisdictions with international partners from the U.S, Europe, the Middle East and China. These sessions will provide African stakeholders with a platform to showcase exploration opportunities and project pipelines across the mining value chain.

Meanwhile, technical workshops and the exhibition floor at AMW 2026 will provide a platform for equipment manufacturers, technology providers and engineering firms to showcase innovations designed to enhance operational performance across mining operations.

By combining high-level policy dialogue with technical expertise and investment matchmaking, AMW 2026 positions itself as a critical marketplace where Africa’s mineral potential converges with global capital, technology and strategic partnerships – helping shape the next phase of growth for the continent’s mining sector.

AMW serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Tony Elumelu Foundation Selects Seven North African Entrepreneurs in 2026 Cohort

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March 24, 2026

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entrepreneurs

Seven North African entrepreneurs in technology, education, professional services and agriculture selected from 265,000 applications at historic Abuja ceremony

Hope is not just a feeling — it is a system we can build

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • 7 North African entrepreneurs selected from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt
  • 51% of the 2026 cohort are women, all selected purely on merit, without any quota in place
  • 3,200 total entrepreneurs selected from 265,000+ applications across 54 African countries
  • USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital for each selected entrepreneur
  • Selection conducted independently by Ernst & Young

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) (www.TonyElumeluFoundation.org), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs, announced on Sunday, 22 March 2026 the 12th cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme at a ceremony held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The announcement was made by Founder Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R.

 

Among the 3,200 entrepreneurs selected from 265,000 applications received from all 54 African countries: seven from North Africa. Three from Tunisia, two from Morocco, two from Egypt. Spanning technology, education, professional services and agribusiness, they represent a generation of North African founders building businesses that address the urgent needs of their communities. Their selection, which was conducted independently by Ernst & Young, places them among the most rigorously assessed young entrepreneurs on the continent.

 

This year’s cohort carries a historic signal: 51 percent of the 2026 entrepreneurs are women. They were selected purely on merit, without quota. Across hundreds of thousands of applications, women distinguished themselves through the strength of their ideas, the clarity of their business models and the ambition of their vision.

 

In 2026, the Foundation is empowering a total of 3,200 entrepreneurs across all its entrepreneurship programmes:

 

  • 1,751 entrepreneurs through Heirs Holdings Group: Heirs Energies, Transcorp Power, Transcorp Hotels, and United Capital;
  • 1,049 entrepreneurs in partnership with the European Commission, OACPS, BMZ and GIZ;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with Sèmè City Development Agency;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with DEG, the German Development Agency;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and the Dutch Government; and
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

 

 

Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to world-class business management training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and entry into a powerful network of investors, partners and fellow entrepreneurs.

 

In his annual letter (https://apo-opa.co/4uOFepM), “A Story of Hope,” Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, shared a powerful message to the new cohort:

 

“For a long time, I believed luck was something that simply happened to you. Then I came to understand: luck can be engineered. Opportunity can be democratised. Hope is not just a feeling — it is a system we can build.” — Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation — 2026 Annual Letter

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 2.5 million young Africans with access to business management training on TEFConnect (https://TEFConnect.com), and disbursed over USD 100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 selected entrepreneurs.

 

Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated USD 4.2 billion in revenue and created more than 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs. Through its support for African entrepreneurs, TEF has lifted 2.1 million Africans above the poverty line and positively impacted more than 4 million African households, with 46% of supported entrepreneurs being African women. Eighty percent of TEF-supported businesses survive and scale, against a global average of ten to twenty percent.

 

 

The announcement ceremony was broadcast live in English (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), French (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), Portuguese (https://apo-opa.co/4t4Y7Da) and Arabic (https://apo-opa.co/4bYHlQl).

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

 

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