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United States Energy Association (USEA) Chief Executive Office (CEO) Mark W. Menezes to Bring United States (U.S.) Energy Expertise to African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 Stage

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9 months ago

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Menezes

Mark W. Menezes, President and CEO, USAE will speak at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 in Cape Town, highlighting the USEA’s work supporting energy transformation across the continent

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 25, 2025/APO Group/ –Mark W. Menezes, President and CEO of the United States Energy Association (USEA), joins a roster of high-level speakers at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference – taking place from September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town. Bringing decades of experience bridging public and private sector energy leadership, Menezes’s participation at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 underscores the U.S.’s enduring commitment to supporting Africa’s energy transformation through strategic partnerships, technical assistance and investment facilitation.

At the helm of the USEA, Menezes oversees the Energy Utility Partnership Program (EUPP), a flagship initiative supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which supports national utilities and energy institutions across sub-Saharan Africa in expanding access to electricity, integrating renewable energy, improving grid stability and strengthening institutional capacity. The USEA currently operates in more than a dozen African countries, with long-standing partnerships in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Djibouti and Ethiopia as well as across regional power pools like the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Eastern Africa Power Pool and the West Africa Power Pool.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Through the USEA and programs like EUPP, African countries are building stronger, smarter and more resilient energy systems

In Uganda, the USEA has partnered with the country’s Uganda Electricity Generation Company, the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and major distribution companies including Umeme and the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company. Through a wide-ranging support program, USEA has delivered significant results including the development of a national Energy Mix Diversification Strategy, the certification of asset management personnel and significant cost savings by replacing foreign contractors with locally trained hydropower maintenance teams.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, the USEA supports utilities including the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company and other public and private entities through the East Africa Regional Transmission Planning Program. The initiative has helped develop the region’s first integrated load flow planning model to strengthen cross-border energy planning between Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The USEA has also been deeply engaged in Senegal since 2015, supporting the country’s national electricity company SENELEC in managing a growing portfolio of energy projects through technical assistance in project management, procurement and power system modeling. In Ethiopia, the USEA played a key role in the drafting and passage of the country’s Geothermal Resource Development Proclamation, which created the legal foundation for private investment in Ethiopia’s vast geothermal potential. The USEA also helped Ethiopia Electric Power secure a $7.7 million grant through the African Union Commission’s Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility to advance development of the Alalobeda geothermal field.

Meanwhile, the USEA, in collaboration with the SAPP, facilitated executive exchanges, helped reform governance bylaw and supported the development of regional frequency and environmental guidelines aligned with international standards. As such, AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 is set to serve as a critical platform for the USEA to deepen its partnerships with African utilities, regulators and private sector stakeholders. As Africa continues to balance the urgent need for energy access with long-term sustainability and industrialization goals, the USEA’s technical support, training programs and planning tools offer frameworks for reform and investment readiness.

“Through the USEA and programs like EUPP, African countries are building stronger, smarter and more resilient energy systems. AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 will provide the ideal forum to accelerate this momentum,” states Tomás Gerbasio, VP of Commercial and Strategic Engagement, African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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

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14 hours ago

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April 29, 2026

By

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

Published

20 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

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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20 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

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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