Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO – Report:

.

President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a five-member Bawku Revitalisation Committee to manage a GHS1 billion development fund aimed at restoring the historic Upper East town and its surrounding communities to their former commercial and social glory.

Chaired by the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the committee will oversee post-conflict reconstruction, rebuild damaged public infrastructure, and revive economic activities in the region.

The fund’s establishment follows President Mahama’s earlier endorsement of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II mediation report on December 16, 2025, which laid out a roadmap for lasting peace and reconciliation in the area.

Speaking at the inauguration, President Mahama lamented the tragic toll that decades of chieftaincy and ethnic conflict have taken on the region, noting that the unrest severely crippled local economies and deprived residents of basic services.

“Decades of conflict have stalled both public and private investments, damaged livelihoods, and forced essential service providers, including teachers, nurses, and doctors, to flee the area for their safety,” President Mahama stated.

Highlighting recent improvements in security, the President commended security agencies for their tireless efforts in restoring law and order. He noted a significant decline in sporadic shootings and violence against innocent citizens. He said the time has come to transition from peacekeeping to sustainable economic restoration.

“The allocation for the Bawku Revitalisation Fund has now been made. With safety and security prevailing in Bawku and surrounding areas, this is the time to begin implementing the Fund,” President Mahama declared, charging the committee to execute their duty with transparency, urgency, and dedication.

The five-member committee brings together key government officials and local leadership. In addition to the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the committee comprises:

Hon. Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central and Minister-designate for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development;

Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, Upper East Regional Minister;

Dr Thomas Anaba, MP for Garu; and

Naba Abugri Cletus Akolwin, Paramount Chief of the Tempane Traditional Area.

Expressing appreciation to the President on behalf of the committee and the traditional leadership, Naba Abugri Cletus Akolwin pledged the team’s full commitment and conveyed the backing of the Bawku Naba.

He assured the nation that the committee would work assiduously to ensure every cedi is effectively used to bring tangible development, social cohesion, and prosperity back to the people of Bawku and neighbouring communities.

The inauguration marks a decisive step in the government’s commitment to securing long-term peace through targeted economic empowerment and infrastructure development in the Upper East Region.

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO – Report:

.

Halliburton has joined Venezuela Energy Week 2027 as a Platinum Sponsor, bringing one of the world’s leading oilfield services companies into a market where international operators are moving to restore production and expand upstream activity. Taking place February 22–25 in Caracas, Venezuela Energy Week comes as a new investment cycle is creating fresh demand for drilling, well services, reservoir evaluation and production technologies.

Halliburton has already begun repositioning its Venezuelan operations for the changing market. In April, Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Miller said the company was discussing commercial terms with customers and had visited its Venezuelan facilities, which he said were in better condition than expected. In July, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered the restart of Halliburton’s operations and the return of previously seized assets, removing a significant legal obstacle to the company’s reactivation. Halliburton has since posted new positions in Venezuela, including roles in Maturín covering logging and perforating maintenance and supply-chain procurement, as well as a technical sales position in Zulia.

The timing reflects growing demand for oilfield services as Venezuela moves to reactivate mature fields, expand drilling and bring new investment into production. Halliburton’s capabilities span the full well lifecycle, including drilling, formation evaluation, well construction, completion and production, with services such as well intervention, cementing and stimulation increasingly important as operators work to restore aging wells and infrastructure. As new investment moves from agreements into field activity, Halliburton is positioned to provide the technical expertise and equipment required to translate Venezuela’s resource potential into additional production.

The investment environment is also changing. Venezuela’s January 2026 reform of the Organic Hydrocarbons Law opened new avenues for private participation in primary hydrocarbons activities, including operating and production contracts under which private companies can assume technical, operational and financial management. Subsequent regulations issued in July established the framework for royalties and the integrated hydrocarbons tax, while oil companies have been working to migrate existing agreements into the new regime.

This evolving framework is creating an increasingly important role for international oilfield service companies capable of supplying technology, equipment and technical expertise at scale. Halliburton’s renewed engagement comes as Venezuela moves from regulatory reform and investment agreements toward the practical work of drilling wells, restoring production and expanding field capacity.

At Venezuela Energy Week 2027, Halliburton will bring its renewed Venezuelan presence into discussions on the practical requirements of production growth, from drilling and well construction to completion and intervention. Its Platinum Sponsorship will place the company at the center of conversations around how Venezuela can rebuild oilfield capacity and translate new investment into additional barrels.

– on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Supporting Venezuela’s Earthquake Recovery
Our thoughts are with the people and communities affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. As the country begins the long process of recovery, we encourage members of the global energy community to support relief and reconstruction efforts through the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela, which channels contributions from individuals, companies and organizations to emergency assistance, essential services and long-term rebuilding efforts.

To learn more or make a contribution, please visit the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela (https://apo-opa.co/4xzji2E)

Source: APO – Report:

.

Côte d’Ivoire produces more robusta coffee than almost any country on earth. What it needed was more people who could taste it and tell the world exactly what it is worth.

Denis Seudieu, Chief Economist the International Coffee Organization, put it simply: a seller who cannot taste their own coffee cannot accurately estimate its price. It is a straightforward observation that captures precisely why, for a week in July, 20 coffee specialists gathered at the National Agronomic Research Centre (Centre National de Recherche Agronomique – CNRA) cupping laboratory in Bingerville, Côte d’Ivoire. There they held one of the most rigorous training experiences the Ivorian coffee sector has ever seen.

Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s sixth-largest robusta producer. It has scale, but what it has been building more slowly is the local expertise to position that coffee not just by volume, but by quality: to speak the language of international specialty buyers, command premium prices, and capture more of the value that its coffee deserves. This training was designed to accelerate that shift.

Over six intensive days, the 20 trainees, selected for their expertise across research, quality control, and the coffee value chain, worked through the internationally recognized Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) Q Grader curriculum under the guidance of Rwandese trainer Grace Mukayisenga. The programme moved from the anatomy of taste and green coffee defect analysis through to standardized cupping protocols, triangulation tests, olfactory blind tests, and green coffee grading. It was, by any measure, demanding.

‘It was an enriching week,’ said Adiko Evelyne, a conservation and agricultural products researcher at the CNRA. ‘The experience allowed us to visually inspect many green coffee imperfections we had previously only encountered in theory. I can now precisely identify floaters, quakers, and sour beans. Thanks to ITC, the CNRA has an array of researchers equipped to conduct professional tastings, and even teach others the joy of coffee cupping.’

The training was supported by ITC through the ACP Business-Friendly programme, jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), in partnership with CNRA, the Conseil Café-Cacao, the Robusta Coffee Agency of Africa and Madagascar ACRAM, and the Association of Coffee Promoters (ASPROCAF).

Alongside the human investment, the CNRA cupping laboratory was upgraded with precision equipment like sample roasters and sensory kits to align with international accreditation standards, creating infrastructure that will outlast the training itself.

For the International Trade Centre (ITC), the initiative reflects a broader ambition in Côte d’Ivoire: to shift the sector’s centre of gravity from raw commodity export toward quality-driven value addition, with local expertise at its core. Twenty new Q Graders may not transform a national coffee sector overnight, but they are the people who will train the next cohort, set the standards, and make the argument that Ivorian robusta belongs in a different conversation.

– on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Source: APO

The African Union Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) through the AGA-APSA Secretariat, with the support of partners including the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) has officially opened the Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme on African Union Shared Values Instruments, bringing together young leaders from across Africa for a four-day capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening their understanding of democratic governance, human and peoples’ rights, peace and security, civic participation and responsible leadership.

Representing H.E. Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission, H.E. Amb. Salah Hammad, Head of the Secretariat of the African Governance Architecture-the Peace and Security Architecture (AGA-APSA), delivered a welcoming remark. He welcomed the young participants to the Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme and reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to strengthening meaningful engagement between the Union and its citizens.

“This programme is a reflection of the growing interest and commitment among young Africans to contribute to issues of democratic governance, human rights, peace and security, and leadership.” Said Amb. Salah  

He further underscored that African Union Shared Values instruments are not merely legal or diplomatic frameworks but have a direct impact on the everyday lives of African citizens. These instruments address fundamental issues including citizens’ participation in public life, the protection of rights and freedoms, accountable institutions, equal opportunities for leadership, and the peaceful management of political differences through dialogue rather than violence.

Delivering the welcome remarks on behalf of H.E. Amb. Dr. Khaled Mohamed, Chairperson of the AGA-APSA Platform Amb. Jevin Pillay Ponisamy the Vice Chairperson of the AGA-APSA Platform underscored that meaningful citizen, and youth engagement is central to sustainable governance, peace and security on the continent.

He noted that the AGA-APSA Platform is founded on the recognition that democratic governance, human rights, peace and security are inseparable, stressing that youth engagement should not be treated as an additional item on the continental agenda, but as an integral part of making the governance, peace and security nexus work in practice.

“Governance, peace and security cannot be sustained without citizens who understand, own and help give effect to the values on which our institutions are built,” Amb. Pillay Ponisamy emphasized.

He encouraged the young participants to use the programme as practical preparation for constructive civic engagement, responsible defence of rights and the peaceful management of differences through dialogue rather than division or violence.

H.E. Amb. Lemlem Fiseha Minale, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the African Union and UNECA, alsp welcomed participants to Addis Ababa on behalf of the Government and People of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, expressing appreciation to the African Union Commission for convening the Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme on African Union Shared Values.

Amb. Lemlem underscored that Africa’s youthful population, with more than 400 million young people, represents a tremendous opportunity for the continent’s growth and prosperity.   

“Africa’s young people and human capital constitute one of the continent’s greatest assets, with the creativity, skills and determination needed to drive its economic, social and political transformation.” – Amb. Lemlem Fiseha

In his opening remarks, Amb. Willy Nyamitwe placed young Africans at the heart of Africa’s present and future, emphasizing that they should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of development and governance initiatives, but as citizens, innovators, community leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, activists and leaders with an essential role in shaping the continent.

“Africa cannot continue telling its young people that they are the leaders of tomorrow while asking them to wait for tomorrow, Africa needs your leadership now.” Amb. Nyamitwe stated.

He further highlighted the commitment of the Republic of Burundi and H.E President Evariste Ndayishimiye as the Champion for to the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, including efforts to advance youth empowerment, inclusive leadership and peacebuilding across Africa.

Amb. Nyamitwe concluded by officially declaring the Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme on African Union Shared Values Instruments open, while expressing appreciation the Federal Democratic Republic oof Government of Ethiopia for being gracious hosts and for to African Center for the Constructive resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) and the teams within the AGA-APSA Secretariat that contributed to making the programme possible.

Among the key instruments highlighted for engagement during the programme is the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), alongside the broader body of AU Shared Values instruments relating to democratic governance, constitutionalism, human and peoples’ rights, the rule of law and citizen participation.

The programme reflects the African Union’s broader commitment to realizing the vision of Agenda 2063 for an Africa whose development is people-driven, especially by its women and youth, while strengthening citizen ownership of the Union’s governance, peace and security agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).