Category: Africa

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African Energy Sector Surges as Namibia’s Mopane Field Reserves Jump 57% and Nigeria Approaches Downstream Self-Sufficiency; International African Energy, Oil, and Gas Summit (IAEOGS) 2026 Announces Strategic Rescheduling to November 2026

Source: APO

The African continent is cementing its position as the world’s most dynamic energy frontier, driven by massive new upstream discoveries and a rapid expansion of domestic refining infrastructure.

In Southern Africa, Namibia’s rise as an energy superpower has reached a new milestone. Recent appraisal data confirms that the offshore Mopane field’s oil reserves have surged by 57% to an estimated 1.38 billion barrels. Simultaneously, the Namibian government has approved TotalEnergies’ multi-billion-dollar asset swap in the Orange Basin, signaling absolute regulatory alignment and paving the way for fast-tracked offshore developments.

Concurrently, West Africa is experiencing a downstream revolution. Driven by mega-projects and modular expansions championed by bodies like the Crude Oil Refinery-owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity is projected to quadruple to 2.64 million barrels per day by 2030. This shift transforms the regional powerhouse from an exporter of crude to a dominant processing hub for the entire sub-continent.

New Dates Announced for IAEOGS 2026In light of these fast-moving industry transformations, and to ensure the full participation of international stakeholders, the Joint Board of the Organizing Committee hereby announces a strategic adjustment to the timeline of the landmark International African Energy, Oil, and Gas Summit (IAEOGS) 2026.

To accommodate critical bilateral state assignments and optimize international investor participation, the summit has been rescheduled. The new dates for IAEOGS 2026 are November 3–6, 2026.

The venue remains unchanged: the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Windhoek, the Republic of Namibia.

The 2026 edition is organized by International Energy Summits Ltd in partnership with African Energy World, African Energy Vault Ltd, African Peace Magazine UK, Transcontinental University USA, and the African Energy Academy Ltd. The summit is convened alongside official Co-host Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST; ILLH), and key institutional partners including the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA), CRG Research & Consulting Ltd (CRG), and CORAN.

A high-powered delegation has already confirmed attendance for the November event, alongside global financiers and heads of National Oil Companies (NOCs).

The organizing committee regrets any inconvenience caused by this date adjustment and is working closely with the Hilton Windhoek to seamlessly transition all existing delegate registrations, exhibition bookings, and hotel room blocks to the new November timeline.

Issued by:

The IAEGOS 2026 Organizing Committee

1st, September, 2026

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Peace Magazine.

Media contact:
Prudence Ramotso
Group Head Events & International Affairs
+2348033975746
+447407399766
+27651766722
+2648123522

info@iaegos.com
prudence@iaegos.com
registration@iaegos.com

Website:
https://AfricanPeace.org/
https://AfricanOilAndGasSummit.com/
https://www.IAEOGS.com/

#enegrysecurity #endenergypoverty #unity #summit #iaeogs2026 #africanow #getinvolved #endafricandebts #techsolution #intraafricatrade #afcfta  #IAEOGS #InvestinAfricanEnergies

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South Africa’s Government-Business Partnership Opens New Mining Investment Opportunities Ahead of African Mining Week (AMW) 2026

Source: APO


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South Africa is stepping up efforts to attract investment into its mining sector, with President Cyril Ramaphosa launching Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership, a public-private initiative designed to accelerate economic growth, investment and job creation. Mining has been identified as a key pillar of the new phase, alongside energy, transport and logistics, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture. 

The initiative targets GDP growth of more than 3% and the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030, with the mining sector positioned to play a central role in achieving those objectives. 

Within mining, Phase 3 targets R50 billion in capital expenditure by February 2028 and the rollout of South Africa’s national mining cadastre system by March 2027. The digital platform is expected to streamline mining-rights applications and help address administrative and project-implementation bottlenecks, supporting efforts to attract new investment and improve the sector’s contribution to economic growth. 

Mining currently contributes approximately 6% of South Africa’s GDP and supports around 470,000 direct jobs, with each mining job supporting an estimated five to 10 dependents. The urgency of accelerating investment was underscored by President Ramaphosa, who said the country’s current growth rate remains insufficient to meaningfully expand employment, with 8.5 million people unemployed and roughly 300,000 new job-seekers entering the labor force each year. 

Phase 3 forms part of a broader national ambition to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock South Africa’s critical minerals potential. The country holds approximately 80% of the world’s platinum group metals and ranks as the world’s largest producer of chrome and manganese, creating significant opportunities for investors across exploration, mining, processing and related infrastructure. South Africa is also seeking to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in iron ore potential, further expanding the pipeline of opportunities for international and domestic capital. 

Against this backdrop, African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 – the Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa – will bring together global investors, financiers, mining companies and government decision-makers in Cape Town from October 14–16. The event comes at a critical juncture as South Africa seeks to translate its vast mineral endowment into new investment, production, infrastructure and jobs while improving the regulatory environment needed to support long-term project development. 

AMW 2026 will feature senior figures from across South Africa’s mining and investment ecosystem, including Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Joel Mohai, Rand Refinery CEO Dean Subramanian, Transnet Freight Rail CEO Russell Baatjies, Gold Fields Executive Vice President: South Africa Benford Mokoatle, Minerals Council of South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane, Standard Bank Managing Principal and Coverage Head for Resources & Energy Shirley Webber, and Executive Head for Energy, Infrastructure and Mining, Business and Commercial Banking Deerosh Maharaj, among other industry leaders. 

Through high-level discussions, project showcases and networking sessions, AMW 2026 will examine South Africa’s evolving regulatory environment, expanding project pipeline and investment opportunities across the mining value chain. The conference will provide a platform for investors and industry stakeholders to explore how public-private partnerships, domestic capital and international investment can accelerate the next phase of South Africa’s mining growth.

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

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South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Planning Seiso Mohai Confirmed as African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 Speaker

Source: APO


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Seiso Joel Mohai, Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) of South Africa, has been confirmed as a speaker at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders – taking place from October 14-16 in Cape Town.

As Deputy Minister, Mohai supports the monitoring and evaluation of government performance and the implementation of national development priorities, making his participation particularly timely as South Africa advances reforms to strengthen the competitiveness of its mining sector. AMW provides an important platform for Mohai to engage with industry leaders on policy implementation, investment priorities and strategies to improve mining’s contribution to economic growth, employment, energy security and industrial development.

At AMW, Mohai is expected to share insights into South Africa’s progress in advancing its mining agenda while exchanging best practices with regional counterparts on strengthening governance, attracting investment and aligning mining development with broader economic objectives.

His participation comes as South Africa targets increasing mining’s contribution to 12% of GDP by 2030. The sector contributed R439.2 billion to GDP in 2025, representing 5.8% of the economy, highlighting significant opportunities to unlock additional growth through exploration, infrastructure development and value addition.

The country is also pursuing ambitious exploration goals, including attracting R2 trillion in private investment to expand its critical minerals industry and unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore resources. Earlier this year, the Junior Miners Exploration Fund reached R600 million, supported by a R300 million contribution from Anglo American, with 14 exploration projects already benefiting. As South Africa seeks to maintain its global leadership in platinum group metals and chrome production, effective planning, performance monitoring and policy execution will remain critical to achieving these objectives.

Meanwhile, government reforms are improving the investment climate. South Africa aims to migrate all nine provinces onto a new online mining cadastre by March 2027, providing investors with more transparent access to geological data and mining rights. Across the logistics sector, government is targeting an increase in annual rail freight volumes from approximately 180 million tons to 250 million tons by 2030, supporting greater exports of coal, bulk minerals and critical minerals.

These reforms will be a key focus at AMW 2026, where Mohai will participate in keynote addresses, high-level panel discussions and exclusive networking sessions, providing updates on South Africa’s mining reforms and outlining the government’s vision for accelerating sustainable sector growth.

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

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President El-Sisi Receives Chinese President Xi Jinping on Official Visit to Egypt

Source: APO


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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives President of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping, during his official visit to Egypt.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that the visit comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries across various political, economic, and developmental fields, as well as following up on the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed between the two countries in 2014. The visit will also include consultations on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

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

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Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 75th anniversary of Volkswagen Group Africa, VW Kariega Plant

Source: President of South Africa –

Programme Director, 
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane, 
Mr Enrico Brandt, Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, 
Dr Oliver Blume, Chief Executive Officer of the Volkswagen Group, 
Mr Thomas Schäfer, Global CEO of the Volkswagen Brand, 
Ms Martina Mamtshawe Biene and the Volkswagen Group Africa Board, 
Representatives of labour, 
Representatives of business, 
Volkswagen employees and members of the supplier community, 
Distinguished guests, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
 
Good evening. 
 
It is a great pleasure to be here in Kariega as we celebrate 75 years of Volkswagen manufacturing in South Africa. 
 
Like me, many South Africans carry memories of the place of Volkswagen cars in their lives. 
 
This brand is so woven into our culture that we sometimes have to remind ourselves that VW is not a South African vehicle. 
 
As Volkswagen itself says: it is a German brand, with a South African heart.
 
On the 31st of August 1951, the first Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the production line in what was then Uitenhage. 
 
That moment marked the beginning of what would become the largest German investment in Southern Africa.
 
This plant is the oldest Volkswagen manufacturing facility outside Europe. 
 
It is today the only plant in the world that manufactures the Volkswagen Polo, and the sole exporter of the Polo to Europe and the Asia‑Pacific. 
 
Every Polo you see outside South Africa was built right here.
 
Close to five million vehicles have been built here – the Beetle, the Kombi, the Golf, the Jetta, the Citi Golf, the Polo and the Polo Vivo.
 
These vehicles have been built for South Africa and for the world.
 
This is a remarkable achievement. 
 
Volkswagen has never been content simply to do business in South Africa. 
 
It has sought to become part of the fabric of our nation.
 
At the height of apartheid, when it was neither easy nor popular to do so, Volkswagen was the first company in this industry to recognise black trade unions and to employ black artisans.
 
Tonight we celebrate this proud history. 
 
We celebrate generations of Volkswagen employees who have built this company. 
 
We celebrate the suppliers, dealers, organised labour and communities that have been part of this journey. 
 
And we celebrate the contribution that Volkswagen has made to Kariega, Nelson Mandela Bay, the Eastern Cape and the South African economy. 
 
Tonight is about honouring the past, celebrating today and driving tomorrow. 
 
It is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the last 75 years and to look to the future. 
 
The automotive sector is one of the largest manufacturing industries in our country. 
 
It supports more than 115,000 direct manufacturing jobs and more than half a million jobs across the automotive value chain. 
 
The industry accounts for just over 5 percent of our gross domestic product and reaches 155 export destinations.
 
Vehicles manufactured by our plants reach markets across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Africa and many other parts of the world. 
 
The automotive industry is therefore vital to our efforts to grow the economy, expand exports, attract investment and create jobs. 
 
Volkswagen has been an integral part of this journey. 
 
Last year, more than 156,000 vehicles were produced here in Kariega. 
 
Almost 120,000 of these vehicles were exported to markets around the world. 
 
Volkswagen works with an extensive network of South African suppliers. 
 
Through these operations, thousands of South Africans earn their livelihoods, acquire skills and participate in one of our country’s most important manufacturing value chains. 
 
Volkswagen’s presence in South Africa demonstrates what can be achieved through long-term investment, industrial capability and partnership. 
 
We are greatly encouraged by Volkswagen’s continued investment in our country. 
 
We particularly welcome the R4 billion investment associated with the introduction of the new Volkswagen Tengo. 
 
The Tengo will become the third model manufactured here in Kariega, alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo. 
 
It is a vote of confidence in our workers. 
 
It is a vote of confidence in our manufacturing capability. 
 
And it is a vote of confidence in South Africa as an investment destination. 
 
We do not take this investment for granted.
 
In an intensely competitive environment, South Africa must continue to demonstrate that we have the capabilities, the skills and the policy environment required to attract these investments. 
 
We also welcome Volkswagen’s investment of more than R800 million in social investment in the communities around this plant.
 
The establishment of the LEAP 9 Maths and Science School in KwaNobuhle, here in Kariega, is an important investment in the future of our young people. 
 
Volkswagen is also working with our Department of Basic Education on early childhood development and on raising mathematics and science competencies.
 
The company also invests R40 million every year in the Youth Employment Service, an initiative that government founded together with business.
 
This programme gives unemployed young people their first experience of work.
 
These investments remind us that the future of advanced manufacturing begins long before a young person enters a factory. 
 
It begins in our schools, in the teaching of mathematics and science, and in giving young South Africans the skills and confidence to participate in the economy of the future. 
 
The automotive industry is undergoing profound change. 
 
The transition towards battery electric vehicles, hybrids and other new-energy technologies is changing the way vehicles are designed and manufactured. 
 
For South Africa, this transition presents both a challenge and a significant opportunity. 
 
We have an established automotive manufacturing base. 
 
We have skilled workers. 
 
And we have significant reserves of many of the critical minerals required for the technologies of the future. 
 
We must build on these strengths. 
 
We are determined to ensure that South Africa remains an important global manufacturing base for the vehicles of the future. 
 
Government is working to ensure that there is a stable, predictable and supportive policy environment in which automotive companies can invest, localise and grow. 
 
We are reviewing the South African Automotive Masterplan and the automotive policy framework to ensure that they respond to the changing conditions facing the industry.
 
Detailed discussions are underway among all partners, including the industry, unions and government, to develop a common programme to grow and sustain the automotive sector in South Africa.
 
We are committed to concluding this work as a priority.
 
We need a sustainable plan that is suited to changing circumstances and that will address constraints, unlock opportunities, build skills, create policy certainty and enhance South Africa’s competitiveness as an investment destination. 
 
Our objective is to increase vehicle production in South Africa. 
 
We want more of the vehicles sold in our country to be produced here. 
 
And we want this industry to continue creating jobs and opportunities for our people. 
 
As we increase production, we must increase the value that is created in South Africa. 
 
We want more black industrialists participating in the automotive value chain. 
 
And we want South African companies to develop capabilities in batteries, electronics and the other technologies that will increasingly define the vehicles of the future. 
 
We must not only assemble the vehicles of the future. 
 
We must increasingly manufacture the components, process the materials and develop the skills and technologies that go into them. 
 
The success of this plant over the last 75 years has ultimately been built by people. 
 
It has been built by generations of South African workers. 
 
The true value of industrial investment is therefore not measured only by the number of vehicles that leave a production line. 
 
It is measured by the skills that are developed, the businesses that are created and the opportunities that are opened for young people. 
 
We commend Volkswagen for its contribution to skills development, supplier development and community investment. 
 
The workers who built the automotive industry of today must be joined by a new generation of South Africans who will build the automotive industry of tomorrow. 
 
We must also look increasingly to our own continent. 
 
The African Continental Free Trade Area provides us with an opportunity to build larger markets, develop regional value chains and expand automotive manufacturing across the continent. 
 
And we want South Africa to remain an important manufacturing base for vehicles made for South Africa, for Africa and for the world. 
 
Volkswagen’s history in South Africa is a story of partnership. 
 
I therefore welcome the call from Volkswagen, and from the broader automotive industry, for stronger partnership between government, business and labour.
 
And as the global industry transitions towards new-energy vehicles, we want South Africa to be part of Volkswagen’s future technology and manufacturing strategy. 
 
Investment decisions being taken today will determine where the vehicles of the next decade are manufactured. 
 
Seventy-five years ago, the first Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the production line here in Kariega. 
 
Much has changed since then. 
 
The vehicles have changed. The technologies have changed. 
 
The markets have changed. And the world has changed. 
 
But what has endured is the partnership between Volkswagen and South Africa. 
 
Tonight we honour the people who built that partnership. 
 
We congratulate Volkswagen Group Africa on this important anniversary. 
 
We thank the Volkswagen Group for its continued confidence in our country. 
 
And we look forward to the next chapter of this relationship. 
 
We thank Volkswagen for believing in South Africa for 75 years. 
 
Let us work together to build people’s cars in this country for many years to come.
 
I thank you.
 

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Bénin – Urgences vitales et projets infrastructurels : Le Ministre Benjamin HOUNKPATIN dans plusieurs structures sanitaires du pays

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Le Ministre de la santé, Professeur Benjamin HOUNKPATIN, a visité plusieurs hôpitaux et centres de santé du nord, du centre et du sud du pays. Cette descente a permis d’apprécier de façon concrète, la mise en œuvre de la mesure de prise en charge des urgences vitales dans ces structures sanitaires publiques. D’autres sujets spécifiques à chaque entité de soins ont été étudiés au cours de cette descente effectuée les 26 et 27 août 2026. 

Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Départemental (CHUD) du Borgou est, sans nul doute, le phare infrastructurel public de la partie septentrionale au regard de ses atouts indéniables. L’enjeu à moyen terme est de réfléchir au mécanisme idoine pour redessiner profondément cet hôpital en vue d’en faire une référence incontestable en matière d’offre de soins dans la région. Avec l’équipe dirigeante, la question a été longuement débattue en salle mais aussi sur le terrain. 

L’Autorité ministérielle a parcouru tous les compartiments de l’hôpital afin de voir avec la direction, les aménagements possibles à effectuer pour donner corps à cette vision infrastructurelle d’envergure. Plusieurs points de convergence sont nés de cette randonnée pédestre nocturne assez fructueuse qui s’est poursuivie sur le site de l’école de formation médico-sociale éligible au projet en raison de ses atouts indéniables. 

Après cette visite, l’Autorité ministérielle accompagnée de l’équipe de la Direction départementale de la santé a effectué une immersion au cœur du Centre de prise en charge des épidémies (CTE) de Parakou. Le détour en valait la peine car ce centre est une merveille tant du point de la vue de sa beauté extérieure que de la qualité des équipements qui y sont installés. En temps de paix, cette infrastructure qui a déjà géré quelques alertes épidémiques, sera consacrée à la prise en charge des maladies infectieuses. 

Il faut noter qu’avec le personnel du CHUD Borgou, le Ministre de la santé a fait le point de la mise en œuvre de la mesure gouvernementale de prise en charge des urgences vitales. De l’exposé du Directeur Général, Professeur Didier ADEDEMI, les résultats sont fort encourageants à part quelques défis liés à l’identification de certains patients et au recouvrement. 

Dans la commune de Tchaourou, le Centre de santé de Tchatchou opère sa métamorphose. Une imposante infrastructure sort de terre et supplante la vieille bâtisse qui s’efface progressivement. A la suite d’une visite sommaire de cette infrastructure, l’autorité ministérielle a mis le cap dans la matinée du jeudi sur l’hôpital Saint Martin de Papané. Dans cette structure sanitaire, des efforts intéressants sont faits pour améliorer les indicateurs en matière de prise en charge des urgences vitales, mais un enjeu majeur persiste. Il s’agit du positionnement géographique assez particulier de cet hôpital ; ce qui fait de lui une porte d’entrée épidémique potentielle. Les discussions assez intéressantes ont permis de retenir la nécessité d’aguerrir le personnel soignant par le Centre des opérations d’urgence de santé publique (COUSP) en vue de permettre une détection précoce et une prise en charge adéquate des cas en communauté. 

L’Hôpital de zone de Savè-Ouèssè fortement équipé ainsi que le Centre hospitalier départemental du Zou ont été également sillonnés parcourus par l’Autorité ministérielle. A Abomey, l’attraction a été l’infrastructure devant abriter très prochainement le scanner et l’achèvement des travaux de construction du Centre de traitement des épidémie (CTE). 

À l’hôpital de zone d’Allada-Toffo-Zè, le Ministre HOUNKPATIN et sa délégation ont apprécié les contours du projet d’extension de l’hôpital qui abritera le service des grands brûlés et plusieurs autres services connexes. Il faut souligner qu’à chaque étape de son périple le Ministre de la santé a exhorté le personnel soignant au respect des mesures d’hygiène et à la veille permanente en vue de sécuriser les recettes des structures de santé. Il a réaffirmé l’engagement du Gouvernement à doter les hôpitaux d’équipements nécessaires afin de poursuivre les efforts constants d’amélioration de l’offre de soins.

Distribué par APO Group pour Gouvernement de la République du Bénin.

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From India to Liberia: Advancing Women’s Leadership Through South-South Cooperation

Source: APO


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From 10 to 15 August 2026, a delegation of 12 Liberian legislators, including nine Representatives and three Senators, together with legislative support staff and UN Women Liberia participated in a South-South Peer Learning Mission to India. The mission formed part of the project “Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development,” funded by the IBSA Fund through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and implemented by UN Women Liberia in partnership with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL). 

South-South cooperation is a central part of the project, connecting Liberia’s priorities with knowledge and experience from IBSA countries. 

For Hon. Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh, Chairperson of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia and Head of Delegation, one of the strongest messages from India was its approach to women-led development, including “women shaping development as leaders, entrepreneurs, legislators and decision-makers. We saw how this vision is connected to systems, from gender-responsive budgeting and women’s political representation to Self-Help Groups, digital and financial inclusion, and programmes that support women’s economic empowerment”.

The delegation engaged India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, as well as institutions working on digital public infrastructure, gender-responsive budgeting, services for women, education and research. The exchanges enabled legislators to examine how policy commitments are translated into financing, institutions and services, and consider lessons relevant to Liberia. 

A key area of learning was India’s Gender Budget Statement, which tracks public spending on women and girls. Discussions explored how Liberian legislators can strengthen budget oversight by tracking allocations, assessing spending and examining whether programmes are delivering results for women and girls.

At India’s National e-Governance Division, the delegation explored digital inclusion and digital public infrastructure, including DigiLocker, while considering affordability, privacy, cybersecurity, limited connectivity and digital literacy. These lessons are particularly relevant to the IBSA Fund project’s economic empowerment activities for rural and young women, which include adult education, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital tools and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).

The mission also examined India’s One Stop Centre model for coordinating medical, legal, police, counselling and referral services for women affected by violence, while discussions with Mobile Creches highlighted how childcare can support women’s economic and public participation.

At O.P. Jindal Global University, the delegation explored opportunities for professional and academic development for young Liberian women and professionals, building on its partnership with the University of Liberia and complementing opportunities through India’s ITEC Programme.

India’s Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Manoj Bihari Verma emphasized the broader significance of the exchange:

“This exchange also carries special significance as a reflection of the friendship and solidarity that define South-South cooperation.”

Dr. A. H. Monjurul Kabir, UN Women Country Representative in Liberia, noted that the mission provided legislators with practical insights into women-led development, political leadership, gender-responsive budgeting, economic empowerment, digitalization and institutional responses to violence against women.  

“This knowledge-based mission has provided Liberian legislators with insights for their legislative, oversight and advocacy roles.” To explore further what this means for Liberia, and what the wider African continent can learn from such partnerships listen to Dr. Kabir’s interview with Channel Africa Rise & Shine here. 

As the project’s first formal South-South peer learning exchange, the mission established new institutional connections and identified practical areas for continued cooperation, including gender-responsive budgeting, digital and financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, responses to violence against women, and opportunities for young women and professionals. UN Women Liberia and WLCL will take these lessons forward to strengthen work already underway in Liberia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

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Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan) Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Strengthen Pakistan’s Export Sector

Source: APO

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (https://ICIEC.IsDB.org/), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, has signed a Reinsurance Agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan), marking another milestone in the partnership between the two institutions.

Signed during ICIEC’s mission to Pakistan, the agreement will strengthen Pakistan EXIM’s risk-mitigation capacity and expand its ability to support Pakistani exporters through export credit insurance solutions.

Through the agreement, ICIEC will provide reinsurance support for eligible export transactions, helping enhance risk-sharing capacity, facilitate access to credit, and enable Pakistani businesses, including SMEs, to pursue opportunities in regional and international markets with greater confidence.

Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Chief Executive Officer of ICIEC, said: “This agreement marks an important step in strengthening Pakistan’s export ecosystem. By combining ICIEC’s reinsurance capacity with EXIM Bank of Pakistan’s local expertise, we can expand the protection available to exporters, enhance their access to finance, and help Pakistani businesses, particularly SMEs, compete more confidently in regional and global markets. It also reflects our commitment to working with national export credit institutions to unlock new trade opportunities and support sustainable economic growth across our Member States.”

The agreement further reinforces the long-standing cooperation between ICIEC and Pakistan and reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to expanding the availability of effective risk-mitigation solutions for the country’s exporters. ICIEC looks forward to building on this partnership with EXIM Bank of Pakistan and supporting the continued development of Pakistan’s export sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).

Email:
ICIEC-Communication@isdb.org

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About The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC):
As a member of ‘AAA’ rated Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), ICIEC commenced operations in 1994 to strengthen economic relations between OIC Member States and promote intra-OIC trade and investments by providing risk mitigation tools and financial solutions. The Corporation is the only Islamic multilateral insurer in the world. It has led from the front in delivering a comprehensive suite of solutions to companies and parties in its 51 Member States. ICIEC, for the 18th consecutive year, maintained an “Aa3” insurance financial strength credit rating from Moody’s, ranking the Corporation among the top of the Credit and Political Risk Insurance (CPRI) Industry. Additionally, S&P has reaffirmed ICIEC “AA-“ long-term Issuer Credit and Financial Strength Rating for the third year with Stable Outlook.  ICIEC’s resilience is underpinned by its sound underwriting, global reinsurance network, and strong risk management policies. Cumulatively, ICIEC has insured more than USD 139 billion in trade and investment. ICIEC activities are directed to several sectors such as energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture.

 
For more information; visit: https://ICIEC.IsDB.org/

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La Société islamique d’assurance des investissements et des crédits à l’exportation (SIACE) et Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan) signent un accord de réassurance pour renforcer le secteur des exportations du Pakistan

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

La Société islamique d’assurance des investissements et des crédits à l’exportation (SIACE) (https://ICIEC.IsDB.org/), assureur multilatéral conforme à la charia et membre du Groupe de la Banque islamique de développement (BID), a signé un accord de réassurance avec l’Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan), marquant ainsi une nouvelle étape importante dans le partenariat entre les deux institutions.

Signé dans le cadre de la visite de la SIACE au Pakistan, cet accord renforcera les capacités d’EXIM Bank of Pakistan en matière d’atténuation des risques et lui permettra d’accroître son soutien aux exportateurs pakistanais grâce à des solutions d’assurance-crédit à l’exportation.

Dans le cadre de cet accord, la SIACE fournira un soutien en réassurance pour les opérations d’exportation éligibles, contribuant ainsi à renforcer les capacités de partage des risques, à faciliter l’accès au financement et à permettre aux entreprises pakistanaises, notamment aux petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), de saisir avec davantage de confiance les opportunités offertes sur les marchés régionaux et internationaux.

Dr Khalid Khalafalla, Directeur général de la SIACE, a déclaré : « Cet accord constitue une étape importante dans le renforcement de l’écosystème des exportations du Pakistan. En associant la capacité de réassurance de la SIACE à l’expertise locale d’EXIM Bank of Pakistan, nous pouvons élargir la protection offerte aux exportateurs, améliorer leur accès au financement et aider les entreprises pakistanaises, en particulier les PME, à être plus compétitives sur les marchés régionaux et mondiaux. Cet accord témoigne également de notre engagement à collaborer avec les institutions nationales de crédit à l’exportation afin d’ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives commerciales et de soutenir une croissance économique durable dans nos États membres. »

Cet accord consolide davantage la coopération de longue date entre la SIACE et le Pakistan et témoigne de l’engagement commun des deux institutions à élargir l’accès des exportateurs du pays à des solutions efficaces d’atténuation des risques. La SIACE se réjouit de poursuivre le développement de ce partenariat avec EXIM Bank of Pakistan et de contribuer au développement continu du secteur des exportations du Pakistan.

Distribué par APO Group pour Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC).

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À propos de la SIACE : 
Membre de la Banque islamique de développement (BID), notée « AAA », la SIACE a démarré ses activités en 1994 afin de renforcer les relations économiques entre les pays membres de l’OCI et de promouvoir le commerce ainsi que les investissements intra-OCI en fournissant des outils d’atténuation des risques et des solutions financières. La Société est le seul assureur multilatéral islamique au monde. Elle a joué un rôle de premier plan en proposant une gamme complète de solutions aux entreprises et parties prenantes de ses 51 pays membres. Pour la 18ᵉ année consécutive, la SIACE a conservé sa note de solidité financière « Aa3 » attribuée par Moody’s, la classant parmi les leaders du secteur de l’assurance-crédit et des risques politiques. Par ailleurs, S&P a confirmé la note de crédit et de solidité financière à long terme « AA- » de la SIACE pour la troisième année consécutive, avec des perspectives stables. La résilience de la SIACE repose sur une souscription solide, un réseau mondial de réassurance et des politiques rigoureuses de gestion des risques. Au total, la SIACE a assuré plus de 139 milliards de dollars de transactions commerciales et d’investissements. Ses activités couvrent plusieurs secteurs : l’énergie, l’industrie manufacturière, les infrastructures, la santé et l’agriculture.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez visiter : h(https://ICIEC.IsDB.org/)      

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From data to decision: Somalia’s early warning systems light the way for resilience across Africa

Source: APO

Two flagship FAO Somalia information systems – the FSNAU Early Warning – Early Action Dashboard and SWALIM Programme – took centre stage at the FAO Regional Office for Africa Resilience Community of Practice, offering a tested, replicable model for turning evidence into timely action.

Across Africa, food security assessments, data systems and early warning mechanisms have attracted substantial investment. Yet one challenge endures: turning information into timely, coordinated and adequately financed action. The problem is rarely a shortage of data but the absence of a clear pathway that transforms evidence into decisions, and decisions into action.

Two flagship systems from FAO Somalia show how that gap can be closed. The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) Early Warning–Early Action Dashboard and the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) programme were each featured in successive sessions of the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) – the regional office’s flagship knowledge initiative, launched in June 2025 to ensure that what works in one country is not locked there, but shared, replicated and improved across the continent.

Opening one of the sessions, Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director of FAO’s Office of Emergency and Resilience, reminded participants that resilience programming stands or falls on the quality of the evidence behind it. “Learning is not complete until it becomes a practice, and that practice becomes a lasting impact.”

With 266 million people acutely food insecure worldwide, he said, country offices must “start using evidence from the design of what we do” and be able to measure the impact of their actions. He commended FAO Somalia for its leadership – not only through these two systems, but through its Integrated Food Security Phase Classification work, now widely regarded as a gold standard.

Turning fragmented data into a single, trusted signal

Mandated by the Somalia Humanitarian Country Team in 2015 and launched in 2016, the FSNAU dashboard brings together data from a wide range of partners, including SWALIM, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, the United States Geological Survey, the World Health Organization, the health and nutrition clusters, UNICEF, UNHCR, and ACLED. Rather than producing the data itself, FSNAU acts as technical custodian – consolidating 22 indicators across climate, markets, health, nutrition, displacement and insecurity, and translating them into three simple signals, Normal, Alert and Alarm, updated monthly for every district.

That simplicity carries weight. In late 2025, the dashboard helped trigger Somalia’s Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plan, contributing to the mobilization of more than USD 100 million in response financing, including USD 50 million from the World Bank. By flagging deterioration early, and at the lowest administrative level, it allows partners to prioritize the districts most at risk and act before a crisis takes hold.

“Early warning only has value if it leads to early action,” said Verenica Mutiro, Head of Programme for FAO Somalia.

Two decades of watching water, land and climate

Where the dashboard consolidates the signal, SWALIM generates much of the underlying evidence. Over almost 25 years, the programme has rebuilt Somalia’s national hydro-meteorological monitoring network – weather stations, river gauges and groundwater monitoring – and converted water, land and climate data into decisions for government, humanitarian and development partners alike.

“SWALIM bridges the gap between environmental data and operational decisions, helping governments and partners understand where risks are emerging, who may be affected and what action can still be taken,” said Ugo Leonardi, Technical Adviser in FAO Somalia.

The results are measurable. During the 2023 El Niño floods, more than 260 000 early warning messages helped evacuate 90 percent of the population at risk in Beledweyne, and analysis credited SWALIM’s warnings with a 43 percent reduction in flooded agricultural land in major flood years – protecting crops, incomes and households. Through its geospatial capabilities and the analysis of very-high-resolution satellite images, SWALIM provided independently verifiable evidence of charcoal production and stockpiling in southern Somalia, supporting UN Security Council monitoring of compliance with the Somalia charcoal-export ban. Another application of SWALIM’s geospatial unit is the identification of suitable growing conditions for at least 14 crops to guide investment and land-use planning.

For humanitarian partners, that reliability is the point. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs describes SWALIM and FSNAU as the country’s two most trusted data sources – equally credited by government, communities and partners – and central to Somalia becoming the first country in the world to pilot anticipatory action financing, with pre-agreed triggers releasing funds ahead of the next El Niño.

Owned locally, built to last

The common thread is not technology. Both systems work because of the governance behind them: trusted partnerships, agreed standards, transparent data sharing and, above all, local ownership. FAO Somalia is progressively transferring SWALIM’s functions to national institutions – establishing information management centres in Puntland and Somaliland and mentoring Somali technicians through real operational work – so that the country can generate, interpret and act on its own information.

That is precisely the model the Resilience CoP exists to spread. Replication does not mean copying Somalia wholesale; it means starting from what already exists in each country – mapping current data, agreeing a common framework with government, and building shared, decision-ready systems step by step. For FAO country offices across Africa, the Somalia experience offers a tested route from data to decision, and a reminder that resilience grows when trusted information reaches the right people, at the right time, before a shock becomes a crisis.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

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