Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.Africa), the international nonprofit operating the world’s largest fleet of civilian hospital ships, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michelle White MB ChB, PhD, DCH, FRCA as its new Chief Executive Officer.  

Dr. Michelle White is a long-standing member of the Mercy Ships family, first volunteering in 2005 and later serving five years on board the Africa Mercy® in leadership roles, including Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Medical Capacity Building. She is from the United Kingdom and currently serves as a Trustee of Mercy Ships UK and as a member of the Mercy Ships International Board of Directors.  

Alongside her Mercy Ships service, Dr. White is an award-winning Anesthesiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, Europe’s leading children’s hospital, where she leads complex surgical services and has introduced operational hospital improvements. Her career also includes spearheading multi-country health system initiatives in Africa, partnering with Ministers of Health, NGOs, and donors to expand surgical safety and training programs.  

Reflecting on her appointment, Dr. White said:  
“I believe this opportunity represents the culmination of my professional calling and spiritual journey. This is a chance to lead an organization I love into its next season of growth and gospel-shaped impact.”  

With more than 17 years of leadership experience across healthcare, missions, and academia, Dr. White brings a unique blend of clinical excellence, nonprofit governance, and faith-driven servant leadership. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and continues to champion operational excellence.

“Dr. Michelle White lives out the values and vision that have defined Mercy Ships for nearly 50 years,” said Board Chair Gary Brown. “As a valued MSI Board member, we have seen her medical expertise, leadership skills, and deep commitment to Jesus. Her long-standing service as a volunteer with our community make her the ideal leader Mercy Ships needs for the years ahead.”  

Dr. White is expected to assume her role as CEO early next year, following her transition from Great Ormond Street Hospital. She succeeds Interim CEO and Board Chair Gary Brown, who has led the organization through this transition period. The firm of CarterBaldwin Executive Search supported Mercy Ships in the selection process.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

If you are a journalist and have seen a story you are interested in about Mercy Ships and would like to request more information, b’roll, or photos email international.media@mercyships.org 

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:  
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.  

Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit www.MercyShips.org and follow @MercyShips on social media.

Source: APO

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Dembe-Sembel and Semaetat high schools in the Central Region presented awards to 253 outstanding students who scored high marks in the national school-leaving and eighth-grade examinations.

Dembe-Sembel High School awarded 60 students who scored a GPA of 3 to 4 in the national school-leaving examination and 74 students who scored over 90 points in the eighth-grade national examination.

Mr. Negasi Woldu, director of the school, congratulated the awardees and their parents, urging the students to work harder for even greater success in their college education.

Mr. Yohannes Solomon, head of secondary school follow-up at the Central Region Education Office, said the achievements were the result of the collective efforts of students, parents, and the school community. He also urged the awardees to continue striving for excellence in higher education.

Similarly, at a ceremony held at the Abraha Bahta School of the Impaired, Semaetat Secondary School awarded 119 outstanding students who scored a GPA of 3 to 4.

Mr. Berhane Woldu, director of the school, reported that out of the students who took the examination from the school, 286 qualified for degree and diploma programs.

Dr. Halima Mohammed, director of evaluation and national examinations, noted that the encouraging results attest to the strong collaboration between students, parents, and teachers. She also congratulated the awardees and their families.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

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Kwaku Nsiah-Asare, CEO of Ghana-based gold mining company Typhoon Greenfield Development Limited (Typhoon) will participate at the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders – as a speaker. 

Nsiah-Asare will feature on a panel titled Ghana’s Gold Renaissance: Refining and Innovation, Enhancing the Nation’s Golden Potential, where he is expected to spotlight Typhoon’s contribution to maintaining Ghana’s position as Africa’s top gold producer and the world’s sixth-largest. 

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 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

At AMW, Nsiah-Asare is expected to provide an update on the company’s ongoing exploration and production activities. The company seeks to activate two additional concessions (https://apo-opa.co/4pdDmUD) to expand its and Ghana’s production portfolio. In the first half of 2025, Typhoon launched exploration programs in collaboration with the University of Mines and Technology of Ghana, enhancing local skills development and contributing to the nation’s long-term gold reserve expansion. 

AMW also represents the ideal platform for Nsiah-Asare to showcase Typhoon’s leadership role in driving Ghana’s six-pillar strategy aimed at modernizing the mining sector, enhancing mineral traceability, combating illegal mining and ensuring environmental sustainability. In June 2025, the company presented Ghana’s first fully traceable and responsibly produced small-scale gold bars, positioning itself as a trailblazer in responsible and tech-enabled mining practices in West Africa. 

The company also represents Ghana’s first small-scale mining firm compliant with the London Bullion Market Association standards. Typhoon reclaimed over 180 acres of land previously degraded by illegal mining and planted 15,000 coconut trees, supporting Ghana’s sustainability goals. As Ghana prepares to launch an Anti-Smuggling Taskforce and a gold tokenization facility to curb illicit trade and ensure transparency, Typhoon’s operations are expected to play a key role in shaping a more sustainable and accountable mining industry. 

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

Source: APO

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International Literacy Day, 8 September, was observed at the national level under the theme “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.”

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education, this year’s theme highlights how digitalization is transforming learning and emphasizes the need for new literacy skills to safely and effectively access, understand, and create digital content.

The statement also pointed out the challenges and opportunities presented by digital technology and stressed the importance of bridging the digital divide to promote inclusive learning for all.

Furthermore, the statement underlined the significance of introducing and expanding the use of mass media and information technology in all educational services across the country.

It also called for a thorough review of the illiteracy eradication program, fulfillment of existing commitments, and enhanced readiness and contribution of all concerned parties.

Noting that encouraging progress has been made in eradicating illiteracy in the country, the Ministry of Education called for reinforced participation by all to achieve total eradication.

International Literacy Day is being observed for the 24th time at the national level and for the 55th time globally.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

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The Anseba Region administration, in collaboration with the Research and Documentation Center, provided a 10-day training on documentation and archives to 64 employees of various institutions, including 45 women.

The training covered document organization and inspection, preservation, evaluation, as well as digital document management, among other topics.

Highlighting that the objective of the training was to enhance the proper care and handling of documents, Col. Kibrom Nirayo, head of administration and finance in the region, called on the trainees to apply the knowledge they gained in their workplaces.

The participants noted that the training would make a significant contribution to improving their daily activities related to documentation.

In the same vein, Ms. Azieb Tewolde, Director General of the Research and Documentation Center, conducted a meeting with department and branch heads in the region, focusing on document and archive management.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

Karavan Press, an independent publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa is the winner of the 2025 edition of the CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa that celebrates and recognises outstanding contributions of African publishers and authors to the literary world.

Karavan Press was recognised for its book In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose, winning the $20,000 top prize. The Prize was presented by Algeria’s Minister of Culture and Arts Azzedine Mihoubi during an award ceremony held during the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers. Finalists received $2,000 each.

The Prize is a joint initiative of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), an intervention by African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with Narrative Landscape Press Limited. It aims to showcase the literary and publishing value chain in Africa and developing literary talent across the continent and the Diaspora.

“Through the CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa, we continue to strengthen Africa’s creative economy by elevating publishers and amplifying African narratives to global audiences. Besides the Prize, we deliver a Pan-African writing workshop, and e-newsletter highlighting African literature, to spotlight and elevate the African book value chain,” said Afreximbank’s Director for Intra African Trade and Export Development (Creatives and Diaspora), Temwa Gondwe.

Now in its second year, the Prize attracted over 80 submissions from across the continent, reflecting the diversity and vitality of African storytelling. Publishers submitted trade books published for a general audience and widely available through libraries and bookstores. The entries spanned fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, in hardcover and paperback, with an emphasis on works printed and published on the continent and written in indigenous languages. Entries could be in one or more of the official languages of the African Union: Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and any other African language. Submissions were judged on the quality of writing, editing and production.

The jury comprised Dr. Boukenna Abdelaziz, Professor of History at Algiers University; Lavaille Lavette, President of JVL Media; and Prof. Egara Kabaji, Professor of Literary Communication at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. The jury lauded the outstanding quality of writing, editing, and production.

The Prize is one of the activities under the CANEX Book Factory, an annual programme of events under Afreximbank’s CANEX initiative culminating in the awards ceremony. Last year, Cassava Republic Press (Nigeria) won the top prize during the inaugural edition of the CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa for the book Female Fear Factory: Unveiling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence by Pumla Dineo Gqola.

CANEX at IATF is billed as the largest gathering of creatives from Africa and the Diaspora across value chains of diverse creative and cultural industries from film, music, and fashion to culinary arts, sports, and visual arts amongst others. The weeklong summit has convened continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services, and to explore business and investment opportunities within the rapidly expanding creative economy. It is being held as part of IATF2025, hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and co-convened by Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat. The weeklong event is projected to facilitate trade and investment deals worth over US$44 billion.

IATF is a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and services to visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. IATF aims to tap into opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of over US$3.5 trillion. The ongoing IATF2025 is its fourth edition with the last three editions of IATF cumulatively generating over $118 billion in trade and investment deals and attracting more than 70,000 visitors and 4,500 exhibitors.

For more information, please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media contact: 
media@intrafricatradefair.com 
press@afreximbank.com

About the Intra-African Trade Fair:
Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.