Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

The Gambia and the African Development Bank Group to boost rice output and uplift youth and women entrepreneurs

Published

on

African Development Bank

The African Development Bank Group is supporting the country’s efforts to produce 200,000 additional tons of paddy rice by 2028, reducing imports to zero

BANJUL, Gambia, October 3, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Gambian President Adama Barrow and African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) head Dr Akinwumi Adesina pledged on Monday to work together to boost rice production and invest in the country’s vibrant youth and women entrepreneurs.

“The Russian-Ukrainian war presents an opportunity for us to solve the problem of food security. There’s no reason why Africans shouldn’t feed themselves,” President Barrow said, on the first day of Adesina’s two-day official visit to The Gambia. “We should commercialise our rice production to produce enough rice for our people.”

Local production currently meets less than 20% of the demand for rice, which is The Gambia’s staple food (https://apo-opa.info/3PGgDzN). The African Development Bank Group is supporting the country’s efforts to produce 200,000 additional tons of paddy rice by 2028, reducing imports to zero.

In addition to support for women and youth entrepreneurship in a country where around 65% of the population is under the age of 25, Barrow also identified infrastructure, particularly road construction, as a critical area for the African Development Bank’s support.

“We are grateful for the African Development Bank’s support. The African Development Bank is our bank. We are doing a lot as a government, but we need the support of the bank to expand our work,” President Barrow said.

On the first official visit by an African Development Bank Group president for more than 20 years, Adesina described The Gambia as an important shareholder since it joined the institution in 1974.

Since we have been supporting The Gambia, we have provided about $540 million in support

“Since we have been supporting The Gambia, we have provided about $540 million in support,” Adesina said. He added: “Currently, our support is quite significant. It is about $282 million, which covers energy, inequality, agriculture, governance, water and sanitation, and support for youth and women.”

Adesina highlighted the importance of the Senegambia Bridge to cross-border trade. The bridge opened in 2019. He said: “I told President Barrow how pleased I am with the Senegambia Bridge, which the African Development Bank financed at the cost of about $104 million. It is a landmark piece of infrastructure. A beautiful bridge that has improved trade between Senegal and The Gambia and the rest of the West African region.”

The African Development Bank Group is helping to cushion The Gambia from some of the impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including rising food insecurity and commodity prices. It has provided about $19 million to help the country produce more food, with the objective of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production.

Support for electricity in The Gambia will bring power to about 1.3 million people. The Bank Group’s Board has approved a new $21 million project that will increase rural access to electricity, as well as several other projects.

Adesina said: “I am excited by the president’s determination to support the youth of The Gambia, and I told him that the African Development Bank is ready and willing to support and finance the creation of what we call Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks. These will be new financial institutions that will support young Gambian entrepreneurs to thrive. And the president was very receptive to this… He wants to see a lot of work done to support women in The Gambia.”

The African Development Bank is also supporting the establishment of its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative in The Gambia. It will provide funding for financial institutions to lend money to women entrepreneurs at affordable rates.

“I commended the President’s efforts on infrastructure,” Adesina said. He added: “As he told me, there is no development without infrastructure, and I agree with him. He said the first, second, and third priorities for him are one and the same: infrastructure.”

The African Development Bank Group is uniquely positioned to continue providing long-term concessional financing and advisory services to The Gambia to accelerate structural transformation and address the drivers of fragility. This makes it one of the country’s preferred development partners.

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

Business

Canada–Africa Financing Forum to Convene Investors and Decision-Makers in Cape Town – May 14, 2026

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Business

ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

Published

on

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).

 

Continue Reading

Business

MIR Holding Reaffirms Its Commitment to African Creative Industries Alongside ORUN at Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) 2026

Published

on

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.

 

Continue Reading

Trending