Category: Africa

Source: APO – Report:

Nominations are officially open for the 10th edition of the African Power & Energy Elites: People and Projects – a leading platform recognising Africa’s most impactful energy and water sector leaders, pioneers, and innovations.

Known as The Elites, this annual initiative honours the changemakers transforming lives and systems across the continent – from expanding energy access to reshaping infrastructure through innovation, smart investment, and policy reform.

“The Elites is not an awards-based programme. It’s a respected platform for visibility, credibility, and connection. We’re calling on all stakeholders to help recognise excellence where it’s happening,”
– Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl, Editor-in-Chief, ESI Africa

Submit your nomination by 28 September 2025
Help spotlight the individuals and projects building Africa’s sustainable energy and water future.

Why It Matters
Millions in Africa still lack reliable electricity and clean water. The Elites platform brings attention to the innovators tackling these systemic challenges—from off-grid solar solutions and AI-driven utilities to clean mobility hubs and community-led water projects.

What’s New in 2025/2026
In this landmark 10th edition, categories have been updated to reflect the fast-evolving landscape:

• Leadership & Rising Stars
• Grid-tied & Off-grid Projects
• Smart & Digital Solutions
• Clean Mobility & Energy at Mines
• Water & Sanitation Innovations
• Finance & Investment Models

Open to individuals and organisations across the value chain—executives, technicians, developers, entrepreneurs, utilities, and beyond. Self-nominations are encouraged. Organisations may also sponsor a feature to align their brand with Africa’s top energy and water stories.

How to Nominate
Submit your nomination via this Google Form:
Nominate Now (https://apo-opa.co/4l0nsJS)

Find out more here:
ESI Africa – The Elites 2025/2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4lTuu4D)

All submissions will be reviewed by a trusted Elites Advisory Board, evaluating innovation, relevance, and impact.

Recognition for Selected Elites
Those featured will receive:

• Editorial feature in a respected industry magazine (print & digital)
• Exposure through ESI Africa, VUKA Group events, and digital campaigns
• Professional video interviews with project leads and leaders
• Social media promotion reaching thousands across Africa and globally

Deadline: 28 September 2025
Nominate now and help honour those powering Africa’s future.

– on behalf of VUKA Group.

Source: APO – Report:

• US $290M in deals signed, advancing infrastructure, tourism and trade across the Caribbean on Day 1
• CARICOM leaders to recommend region’s highest honour for Oramah’s role in transforming ties
• US $250M Resilience Fund, CAPSS rollout, and feasibility of Caribbean EXIM Bank among key initiatives championed

The fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025) opened today in St. George’s under the theme “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.”

In a passionate keynote address, Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, declared the region’s readiness to shift from slogans to systems, unveiling a slate of tangible milestones that signal the deepening of Africa-Caribbean economic and cultural integration.

“In under four years, we’ve ratified the Partnership Agreement in 11 CARICOM countries, providing the Bank a solid legal foundation to operate, support, and invest in their economies,” said Oramah. This, he acknowledged, represents a “sovereign declaration, that the CARICOM States see in Africa, not just its past, but also its future.”

These bold initiatives, shared by President Oramah during his address, demonstrate Afreximbank’s commitment to transforming Afri-Caribbean cooperation from aspiration into action:

• Caribbean EXIM Bank: Feasibility studies are underway for a regional EXIM Bank co-created with the CARICOM Secretariat to unlock industrial development and trade.
• $250M Growth, Resilience, and Sustainability Fund (GRSF): A new blended finance mechanism to support climate adaptation and development. Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) will manage the fund, while concessional financing will be raised jointly with the CARICOM Development Fund.
• CAPSS Launch (Caribbean Payment & Settlement System): Modelled after Africa’s Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), this digital platform will allow real-time payments across the Caribbean in local currencies, eliminating costly conversions and enabling the upcoming CAPSS Card.
• Creative & Cultural Investment: $24 million has been committed for a film production and training hub in the OECS through CANEX, while other investments have enabled designers and chefs from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados to feature globally.
• Artificial Intelligence Hub: A new AI and generative tech centre is being launched in partnership with the P.J. Patterson Institute at the University of the West Indies to place Afro-Caribbean talent at the centre of global innovation.

The ACTIF2025 also serves as President Oramah’s final address at the Forum, as he prepares to hand over leadership to Dr. George Elombi, Afreximbank’s long-serving Executive Vice President nominated as incoming President by shareholders at the Bank’s 32^nd Annual Meeting in Abuja in June 2025.

“At this critical moment in our collective history, I have no shred of doubt that he is the right person to lead us in the next phase of the Bank’s journey. I am convinced that he will give the Bank’s work in this region a renewed impetus,” he stated.

Looking beyond the Forum, President Oramah urged the establishment of a sovereign Global Africa Commission to drive forward the long-term integration of Africa and the Caribbean. He proposed that the Commission be jointly supported by Afreximbank, the CARICOM Secretariat, and the African Union, and tasked with advancing the trade, cultural, education, and creative agenda of the growing pan-African alliance.

“What we have done so far is prove the concept, we now need to institutionalise it,” Oramah said. “We should consider creating a Commission that becomes fully responsible for delivering on the Africa-Caribbean and broader Global Africa initiative… This move will give more focus to the initiative, reduce the administrative burden on Afreximbank and create an environment for innovation.”

In closing, President Oramah declared “In America, America is first. In Europe, Europe is first. In China, China is first. We are the only ones who put ourselves last,” noting that it is time that Africa changes this posture.

Meanwhile, Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada praised the vision and leadership of President Benedict Oramah, describing his presidency as a turning point in the Africa-Caribbean relations.

Recognising the strategy, integrity and relentless drive employed, PM Mitchell, stated that President Oramah carved out a space for ‘our regions to trade, collaborate, and thrive’. “In the annals of history, you will go down as a pioneer for African people everywhere,” the Caribbean leader declared.

Prime Minister Mitchell announced a recommendation by the region’s leaders to confer the region’s highest honour to President Oramah; the Order of the Caribbean Community.

Building on Oramah’s keynote call to institutionalise the Global Africa Initiative through the creation of a permanent Commission, Prime Minister Mitchell voiced full support.

His message was punctuated by a deeply personal interaction with a young volunteer who asked why Grenada chose to host ACTIF2025; a question he said cut to the heart of the Forum’s purpose.

“It’s about money. It’s about trade. It’s about investment…  our very survival, prosperity and dignity depends on the economic decisions we make today,” he stated.  “To that young man, I say: our political will to support Global Africa is unwavering. We are not starting from scratch. We are starting from strength. And we will not leave ACTIF2025 with another communiqué, we will leave here with a commitment to act, to build together, to trade together, to succeed together and rise together.”

In a sobering, yet empowering close, he added “no one is going to save Global Africa but Global Africa itself.”

More than a dozen sitting and former Heads of State, and Government representatives from Africa and the Caribbean are attending ACTIF2025. Among them are:

• Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
• Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
• Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis
• Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
• H.E. Kassim Majaliwa, Prime Minister of Tanzania (representing President Samia Suluhu)
• H.E. Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry, Rwanda (representing President Paul Kagame)
• The Most Hon. PJ Patterson, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica
• H.E Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
• H.E Mahamadou Issoufou, Former President, Republic of Niger

Meanwhile, five transformative deals totaling over US$290 million were signed on Day 1 of ACTIF2025, showcasing Afreximbank’s deepening investment in trade-enabling infrastructure and economic development across the Caribbean. Among the signings was a US$50 million Heads of Terms with the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis for an Education Construction and Rehabilitation Climate-Linked Facility, and a US$40 million public-private partnership with Gemini Integrated Commodities Trading Company Ltd. to develop a modern commercial port in Saint Kitts. In The Bahamas, two landmark transactions were formalised: a US$100 million Receivables Discounting Facility for the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies to rehabilitate over 200 miles of road infrastructure, and a US$40 million facility with Cat Island Infrastructure Company Ltd. for critical roadworks. Rounding out the signings was a US$61.25 million agreement with Speedbird House Ltd. to finance a 150-room Homewood Suites by Hilton in Bridgetown, Barbados—under Afreximbank’s tourism-linked financing initiative, CONTOUR.

ACTIF2025 continues through 30 July, with panel discussions, business matchmaking sessions, cultural showcases, and deal signings that reflect the Forum’s commitment to moving from rhetoric to results. More than 1,700 people registered to attend ACTIF2025, reflecting the highest level of interest recorded across all four editions. 

– on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com

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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

Source: APO

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In a humanitarian gesture, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has given directives that necessary healthcare and immediate medical attention to be offered to Captain Hassan Shehata, the former coach of the national team, following his recent health setback.

The President’s directives stem from his keenness to provide full support to Captain Hassan Shehata, in appreciation of his historic achievements in Egyptian sports and the special place he holds in the hearts of the Egyptian people.

These directives are in line with the Egyptian state’s approach to caring for its national symbols.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Source: APO

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The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) SheTrades initiative and Visa announce a regional capacity building programme to support women and youth-led businesses in Kenya and South Africa, expanding their partnership into sub-Saharan Africa. 

Building on collaborations in the Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions, the programme will enhance the digital, financial and entrepreneurial capacities of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) led by women and youth – two key groups driving innovation and inclusive growth across the continent.

Entrepreneurs can register to join the programme here.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, women are estimated to own close to 60% of MSMEs, while earning 38% less in profits. Structural barriers – such as limited access to finance, digital technologies and tailored business support – continue to impede their full participation in formal economies. 

Similarly, while the region’s young demographic can be considered a strength, young entrepreneurs encounter challenges in accessing the skills, tools and networks required to build and scale their enterprises. According to the African Development Bank, narrowing gender and age-based disparities in labour markets and enterprises could boost economic output by as much as 34%, underscoring the potential positive impact of inclusive economic participation.

To address these barriers, the programme offers a hybrid learning experience combining online and in-person capacity building tailored to the needs of women and youth-led MSMEs in the region, including on topics such as artificial intelligence for business, financial literacy, digital payments, investment readiness and broader entrepreneurial skills.

At the core of the programme is Visa’s She’s Next, which provides women entrepreneurs with mentorship, funding and networking. By connecting programme participants with the She’s Next alumni and the wider SheTrades community, the initiative will foster peer learning, sustained engagement and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

‘This partnership reflects our shared commitment to closing the digital and financial inclusion gap for African entrepreneurs,’ said ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton. ‘We look forward to building on our partnership with Visa to enable long-term economic empowerment of women and youth, who, when fully engaged in trade, become powerful agents of change in their communities and countries.’

The programme will be delivered in collaboration with a network of public and private partners, including the SheTrades Hubs in Kenya and South Africa, hosted by ABSA Bank Kenya and the Small Enterprise and Finance Development Agency (SEDFA), respectively. Microsoft Philanthropies will contribute AI-focused learning modules, which will be made available as UN public goods through the SheTrades Academy.

‘At Visa, we believe that economies that include everyone, everywhere, uplift everyone, everywhere. Our expanded partnership with ITC SheTrades through the She’s Next initiative is a testament to this belief,’ said Michael Berner, Head of Visa Southern and Eastern Africa. ‘By equipping women and youth entrepreneurs with the digital tools, financial knowledge, and networks they need to succeed, we are helping individual businesses thrive and contributing to the broader economic resilience and inclusive growth of the region. This initiative reflects Visa’s ongoing commitment to driving equitable access to the digital economy and unlocking opportunities for underrepresented communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.’

The programme was announced during the Global SME Ministerial Meeting, organised by ITC in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Small Business Development, where Visa contributed to discussions on financing solutions for sustainable small business growth.

Upcoming webinars include:

• Kick-off & Microsoft AI Launch: 31 July

• Digital Tools & AI Integration: 28 August

• Budgeting & Financial Planning: 18 September

Entrepreneurs can register to join the programme here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

Source: APO

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An estimated 8.2 percent of the global population, or about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 percent in 2023 and 8.7 percent in 2022. However, progress was not consistent across the globe, as hunger continued to rise in most subregions of Africa and western Asia, according to this year’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report published today by five specialized agencies of the United Nations.

Launched during the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, SOFI 2025 indicates that between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger in 2024. Based on the point estimate* of 673 million, this represents a decrease of 15 million people from 2023 and of 22 million from 2022.

While the decline is welcome, the latest estimates remain above pre-pandemic levels, with the high food inflation of recent years contributing to the slow recovery in food security.

Notable improvements are seen in southern Asia and Latin America. The prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) in Asia fell from 7.9 percent in 2022 to 6.7 percent, or 323 million people, in 2024. Additionally, Latin America and the Caribbean as a region saw the PoU fall to 5.1 percent, or 34 million people, in 2024, down from a peak of 6.1 percent in 2020.

Unfortunately, this positive trend contrasts sharply with the steady rise in hunger across Africa and western Asia, including in many countries affected by prolonged food crises. The proportion of the population facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20 percent in 2024, affecting 307 million people, while in western Asia an estimated 12.7 percent of the population, or more than 39 million people, may have faced hunger in 2024.

It is projected that 512 million people could be chronically undernourished by 2030. Almost 60 percent of those will be in Africa. This highlights the immense challenge of achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), warned the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations agency for children (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tracking nutrition targets

• From 2023 to 2024, the global prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity – an assessment registering the experience of constraints on access to adequate food during part of the year – decreased slightly, from 28.4 to 28.0 percent, accounting for 2.3 billion people. This is 335 million more than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 683 million more than in 2015, when the Sustainable Development Agenda was adopted.
• Among the indicators of child nutrition, the prevalence of stunting in children under five declined from 26.4 percent in 2012 to 23.2 percent in 2024, reflecting global progress.
• The prevalence of child overweight (5.3 percent in 2012 and 5.5 percent in 2024), and in child wasting (7.4 percent in 2012 and 6.6 percent in 2024) remains largely unchanged.
• The percentage of infants under six months exclusively breastfed increased significantly, from 37.0 percent in 2012 to 47.8 percent in 2023, reflecting growing recognition of its health benefits.
• The prevalence of adult obesity rose from 12.1 percent in 2012 to 15.8 percent in 2022.
• New data show an increase in the global prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49, from 27.6 percent in 2012 to 30.7 percent in 2023.
• Estimates for a new SDG indicator introduced in the report reveal that about one-third of children aged 6 to 23 months and two-thirds of women aged 15 to 49 years met minimum dietary diversity.

Food inflation

SOFI 2025 also examines the causes and consequences of the 2021–2023 food price surge and its impact on food security and nutrition.

The report highlights that the global policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic – characterized by extensive fiscal and monetary interventions – combined with the impacts of the war in Ukraine and extreme weather events, contributed to recent inflationary pressures.

This food price inflation has hindered the post-pandemic recovery in food security and nutrition. Since 2020, global food price inflation has consistently outpaced headline inflation. The gap peaked in January 2023, with food inflation reaching 13.6 percent, 5.1 percentage points above the headline rate of 8.5 percent.

Low-income countries have been particularly hit hard by rising food prices. While median global food price inflation increased from 2.3 percent in December 2020 to 13.6 percent in early 2023, it climbed even higher in low-income countries, peaking at 30 percent in May 2023.

Despite rising global food prices, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024. However, the improvement was uneven. In low-income countries, where the cost of a healthy diet rose more sharply than in higher-income countries, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet increased from 464 million in 2019 to 545 million in 2024. In lower-middle-income countries (excluding India), the number rose from 79 million in 2019 to 869 million over the same period.

The report recommends a combination of policy responses to food price inflation. They include targeted and time-bound fiscal measures, such as social protection programs, to safeguard vulnerable households; credible and transparent monetary policies to contain inflationary pressures; and strategic investments in agrifood R&D, transport and production infrastructure, and market information systems to improve productivity and resilience.

What they said

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu: “While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the global hunger rate, we must recognize that progress is uneven. SOFI 2025 serves as a critical reminder that we need to intensify efforts to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. To achieve this, we must work collaboratively and innovatively with governments, organizations, and communities to address the specific challenges faced by vulnerable populations, especially in regions where hunger remains persistent.”

IFAD President, Alvaro Lario: “In times of rising food prices and disrupted global value chains, we must step up our investments in rural and agricultural transformation. These investments are not only essential for ensuring food and nutrition security – they are also critical for global stability.”

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell: “Every child deserves the chance to grow and thrive. Yet over 190 million children under the age of 5 are affected by undernutrition, which can have negative consequences for their physical and mental development. This robs them of the chance to live to their fullest potential. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report for 2025 underscores the need to act urgently for the world’s youngest and most vulnerable children, as rising food prices could deepen nutrition insecurity for millions of families. We must work in collaboration with governments, the private sector and communities themselves to ensure that vulnerable families have access to food that is affordable and with adequate nutrition for children to develop. That includes strengthening social protection programs and teaching parents about locally produced nutritious food for children, including the importance of breastfeeding, which provides the best start to a baby’s life.

WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain: “Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling. Last year, WFP reached 124 million people with lifesaving food assistance. This year, funding cuts of up to 40 percent mean that tens of millions of people will lose the vital lifeline we provide. While the small reduction in overall rates of food insecurity is welcome, the continued failure to provide critical aid to people in desperate need will soon wipe out these hard-won gains, sparking further instability in volatile regions of the world.”

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “In recent years, the world has made good progress in reducing stunting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding, but there is still much to be done to relieve millions of people from the burdens of food insecurity and malnutrition. This report provides encouraging news, but also shows where the gaps are and who is being left behind, and where we must direct our efforts to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy and nutritious diet.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).