Category: Africa

Source: APO

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The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to placing women and girls at the centre of South Africa’s science, technology and innovation agenda.

Speaking at the 23rd South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) gala dinner at the NH Hotel Sandton in Johannesburg, Minister Nzimande said the country’s development ambitions could not be achieved while women and girls remained excluded from opportunities in science, technology and innovation.

“No nation can ever hope to reach its true potential if it excludes its women and girls from opportunities in science, technology and innovation,” Minister Nzimande said.

The 2026 SAWiSA theme, “Placing Women at the Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation”, reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to transformation, inclusion and excellence across the national system of innovation.

The awards celebrate women’s achievements across the natural, life, physical and engineering sciences; the humanities and social sciences; public engagement with science; and innovation for impact. They also support the development of future women scientists through fellowships for master’s and doctoral students.

Minister Nzimande congratulated Professors Liesl Zühlke, Priscilla Baker and Karen Sliwa-Hahnl for their national and international recognition, saying their achievements continue to elevate South African science on the world stage.

At the event, Minister Nzimande announced that one of the SAWiSA fellowship categories will be renamed the DSTI-Prof Keolebogile Shirley Motaung Fellowship, in honour of the late Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung.

Professor Motaung, affectionately known as Prof Keo, was one of South Africa’s most decorated Black women scientists. Her pioneering work in stem cells and regenerative medicine, strongly grounded in indigenous knowledge systems, expanded the frontiers of modern African science.

The Minister said the decision followed a commitment made to Professor Motaung’s family to explore an appropriate way to honour her contribution and preserve her legacy for future generations of scientists.

Minister Nzimande said the Department’s transformation agenda is guided by the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation and the Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan for 2022–2032.

He said science, technology and innovation must be used deliberately to confront poverty, unemployment and inequality, including the exclusion and marginalisation of women and girls.

“Transformation is not a symbolic gesture, but a moral and strategic necessity,” Minister Nzimande said. The Minister noted several areas of progress in expanding women’s participation in the science system. He stated that women constitute 52% of the academic workforce and 47.7% of the national research workforce. In 2024, women accounted for 62.6% of total university enrolments.

Equity targets require at least 55% of postgraduate bursaries to be awarded to women and 80% to Black students. In the 2025/26 financial year, 6 246 postgraduate students received bursary support. A total of 1 644 emerging researchers were supported, including 708 Black women emerging researchers.

The Minister further indicated that of the 198 operational South African Research Chairs as of April 2026, 104, or 53%, are held by women. Despite this progress, Minister Nzimande said the transformation journey remains incomplete, with women still underrepresented in research leadership and in critical STEM disciplines such as engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence.

He added that early-career researchers continue to face structural barriers, while female-owned technology enterprises experience severe venture capital constraints.

The Department, together with its entity the Technology Innovation Agency, is providing targeted seed funding, incubation and venture capital support for female-led technology enterprises.

Minister Nzimande said the objective is to empower women not only as high-calibre researchers and scientists, but also as enterprise founders and industrial pioneers.

“Meaningful transformation cannot end with a published paper; it must extend into intellectual property, patents and global market leadership,” he said.

Minister Nzimande said the SAWiSA 2026 theme must translate into concrete gains for women and girls in STEM over the next 10 to 20 years. He emphasised that placing women at the centre of science, technology and innovation requires sustained investment in skills development, research leadership, entrepreneurship and equitable access to opportunities across the innovation value chain.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.

Source: APO

A three-day senior leadership and management training programme for senior executive officers in the public service was officially opened at Olympic House, bringing together Principal Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers, Director Generals and other senior officials occupying key positions within government.

The programme is funded by the Commonwealth and is designed to strengthen leadership and management capacity within the public service, with a particular focus on effective decision-making, good governance, ethics and integrity, strategic leadership and organisational performance.

The opening ceremony was attended by Vice President Mr Sebastien Pillay, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, and Head of Public Sector Governance at the Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom, Dr Roger Koranteng.

Addressing participants, Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs and Head of the Civil Service, Ms Margaret Moumou, emphasised that leadership extends far beyond occupying a position of authority.

“Leadership is not simply about occupying positions of authority. It is about setting direction, creating trust, empowering others, and making difficult decisions with courage and integrity,” she said.

Ms Moumou noted that effective leaders must remain focused on the public interest while navigating change and uncertainty. She also highlighted the support mechanisms established by the Department of Administration to assist senior public officers in meeting the demands of leadership.

“The Department of Administration has also created space for mentorship and coaching for all accounting officers. Please do make use of this facility to help you navigate the demands of leadership in this era of constant flux,” she said.

She explained that this mentorship and coaching programme provides a safe space for accounting officers to seek guidance and assistance, particularly when dealing with complex decisions and challenges affecting their respective institutions.

In his address, Dr Roger Koranteng, Head of Public Sector Governance at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said that public sector leaders are operating in an increasingly complex environment, where they must navigate multiple challenges, manage competing priorities and deliver results that improve the lives of citizens.

“In this rapidly changing public sector environment, leaders are required to navigate increasingly complex challenges, manage competing priorities, and deliver results that improve the lives of citizens,” Dr Koranteng said.

He stressed that strong leadership is also essential to creating positive organisational cultures and ensuring the continuity of institutions.

“Great leaders create positive organisational cultures. They inspire confidence and strengthen motivation, clarify priorities, and guide organisations towards improved performance and better outcomes. They also identify and nurture future leaders, ensuring sustainability and continuity within their institutions,” he said.

Officially opening the three-day training programme, the President Dr Patrick Herminie, highlighted that this initiative comes at a particularly meaningful moment for Seychelles as the country marks 50 years of independence.

“We must also prepare to rise to the fifty years ahead. That preparation begins in this room, with the people responsible for carrying our institutions forward,” the President said.

He highlighted the growing expectations of citizens for public services that are efficient, responsive, transparent and increasingly digital.

“Our institutions must be able to respond to changing circumstances, manage limited resources effectively, work across institutional boundaries and, above all, maintain the confidence and trust of the people we serve,” he said.

The President stressed that these topics are not merely academic subjects, but practical leadership issues that directly influence how public institutions operate and deliver services to citizens.

He also reiterated his message delivered at the Public Service Forum earlier this year: “Leadership develops leadership.”

“No institution builds strong leaders by chance. It builds them deliberately, through people who are willing to mentor, to set high standards, and to give others room to grow into responsibility,” he said.

He added that the deeper purpose of the programme is not only to strengthen participants as individual leaders, but also to build their capacity to develop the next generation of leaders who will eventually succeed them.

The programme includes sessions such as Picking the Leadership Style That Fits Best for Your Organisation and Ethics vs Integrity in Public Sector Organisations, alongside other practical sessions aimed at strengthening leadership capacity and supporting more effective and informed decision-making across the public service.

The training is ultimately intended to contribute to stronger institutions, better leadership continuity and a public service that is better equipped to meet the evolving needs and expectations of the people of Seychelles.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.

Source: APO – Report:

The end-of-service ceremony, held on 20th August 2026 at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in Freetown, brought together government officials, ECOWAS representatives, supervisors, host institutions, and other stakeholders.

The ceremony was chaired by Mr Komba Momoh, Deputy Development Secretary II and Head of the ECOWAS National Office, who also recognised the volunteers’ important contributions to their host institutions.

The ECOWAS Volunteer Programme Country Coordinator, Mr Preaches G. Gbessagee, delivered a farewell message on behalf of the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, Francis Njoaguani, thanking the volunteers for their contributions and encouraging them to remain connected to the ECOWAS family.

The ECOWAS Resident Representative, Ambassador John Azumah, also praised the volunteers as ambassadors of ECOWAS and encouraged them to continue serving their communities, maintain the relationships they built in Sierra Leone, and pursue future opportunities within ECOWAS.

The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Kenyeh Barlay, commended the volunteers for their dedication, selfless service, and positive impact on schoolchildren, patients, young people, and communities. She described their service as an important contribution to regional solidarity, peace, development, and integration.

Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, Mr Obinna Joseph Ziba expressed appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission, host institutions, supervisors, coordinators, and other stakeholders for their support.

The ceremony ended with the presentation of certificates and locally made Sierra Leonean traditional outfits to the nine outgoing volunteers in recognition of their three years of dedicated service.

The programme celebrated not only the completion of their assignments but also their lasting contribution to Sierra Leone and the strengthening of ECOWAS regional integration.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO – Report:

This document, executed in two original copies, was signed by the Vice-President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), H.E. Damtien Larbli Tchintchibidja; the Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Scientific Research of Togo, Prof. Gado Tchangbedji, representing the Minister of National Education; and the representative of the President of the University of Lomé, Prof. Edinam Kola marking a decisive step toward the operationalization of these two Master’s programs.

The immediate handover of the document  by Professor Tchangbedji to Professor Kola for official transmission to the President of the University of Lomé represents a key milestone toward bringing both Master’s programs to fruition.

This transmission, alongside the Togolese government’s commitment and the announced ECOWAS support for the retreat dedicated to revising the curriculum frameworks, lays the foundation for joint monitoring in accordance with the agreed responsibilities and deadlines.

Interventions by representatives of the Togolese government, the University of Lomé, and ECOWAS confirmed the relevance and regional scope of both programs, as well as the need to ensure their academic coherence, professional quality, and African alignment.

In his remarks, Prof. Edinam Kola expressed the institution’s gratitude to ECOWAS and the Togolese government for their unwavering support. He affirmed that the University of Lomé is fully committed to implementing both Master’s programs by mobilizing its academic resources and strengthening its regional and international partnerships.

For his part, Prof. Gado Tchangbedji emphasized that these Master’s degree programs align with the national priority given to human capital development and a productive youth, recalling Togo’s central role in West African integration.

Meanwhile, Patibouyou Kirong, Chief of Staff to the Ministry of National Education, highlighted ECOWAS’s actions in promoting youth employability, training, and inclusive governance.

Taking her turn to speak, Ms. Damtien Larbli Tchintchibidja recalled that regional integration relies on accessible, high-quality communication, which underlines the strategic importance of interpreting and translation. According to her, interpreting and translation are not mere technical tools, but indispensable strategic levers for intercultural dialogue, institutional cooperation, and the consolidation of African unity. She reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to supporting conference interpreters and translators in Africa.

She also noted that the University of Lomé is poised to become a reference center for the training of interpreters and translators.

The summary of the report, presented by the Coordinator of Language Services at the ECOWAS Commission, Alphousseyni Diamanka, highlighted the proposed creation of the Professional Master’s in Translation, the harmonization of both program frameworks, the clarification of language combinations, the integration of translation technologies and neural machine translation, as well as the improvement of admission and evaluation procedures.

For the Director of Conference Services and Protocol at the ECOWAS Commission and Chairperson of the PAMCIT II Task Force, Ms. Olukemi Robinson Atabuh, this meeting was a “historic moment.”

She stressed that standardizing the Master’s in Interpreting and establishing the Master’s in Translation will offer new opportunities to the University of Lomé. “Without language, there is no dialogue, and without dialogue, there is no integration,” she stated.

She expressed her gratitude to the Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Togolese authorities, the Resident Representative and the ECOWAS National Office in Togo, the Coordinator of the Master’s in Translation and Conference Interpreting at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal (and PAMCIT member), university officials, experts, academic researchers, as well as the entire staff of the ECOWAS Commission for their contributions to the success of the meeting.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) and its subsidiaries (“the Group”) delivered a strong financial performance for the six months ended 30 June 2026, underscoring the resilience of its business model and continued support towards trade and economic development activities across Africa and the Caribbean.

The Group’s total assets and contingencies increased by 7.8% to US$52.3 billion, up from US$48.5 billion at 31 December 2025. This growth was primarily driven by expansion in the Bank’s lending activities, with net loans and advances increasing by 5.7% to US$35.4 billion, compared with US$33.5 billion at the end of 2025.

Afreximbank maintained sound asset quality, with the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of  2.20% at the end of the first half of 2026 compared to 2.43% at year-end 2025, reflecting prudent risk management.

The Group also maintained a sound liquidity position, with liquid assets accounting for 13% of total assets, comfortably within its strategic target range of 10% to 15%.

Shareholders’ funds increased to US$8.5 billion from US$8.4 billion at the end of 2025, supported by US$534.7 million in internally generated profits, and US$13.9 million in new equity raised during the period.

The Group recorded a significant increase in earnings, with net interest income rising by 22% to US$1.0 billion, compared with US$0.84 billion during the corresponding period in 2025. In addition, fee and commission income increased by 15% to US$71.1 million, up from US$61.9 million in H1’2025, supported by higher fees earned from guarantees, letters of credit and advisory services.

As a result, net income reached US$534.7 million, representing a 30% increase from US$412.7 million recorded in the first half of 2025.

Profitability indicators showed further improvement, with return on average shareholders’ equity rising to 13%, compared with 11% in H1’2025, while return on average assets increased to 2.54% from 2.22% over the same period.

Operational efficiency remained strong, with the cost-to-income ratio at a healthy level of 20% compared to 19% for H1’2025, despite higher personnel expenses and persistent inflationary pressures.

Further strengthening its funding profile, Afreximbank successfully completed a US$1.5 billion dual-tranche bond issuance after the reporting period. The transaction, the largest international debt capital markets issuance in the Bank’s history, comprised a US$750 million 5.5-year tranche and a US$750 million 10-year tranche. The offering was approximately two times oversubscribed, highlighting strong investor confidence and reinforcing the Bank’s capacity to support its strategic growth objectives.