Category: Africa

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Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento e Fórum Económico Mundial estabelecem parceria para desbloquear investimentos nos mercados fronteiriços de África

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

O Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento (www.AfDB.org) e o Fórum Económico Mundial (WEF) lançaram na quarta-feira o Roteiro de Investimento Humanitário e de Resiliência (HRI) para África, com o objetivo de canalizar o investimento privado para as economias mais frágeis do continente. 

O Roteiro HRI para África define uma abordagem coordenada e liderada pelos países para mobilizar capital comercial e catalítico em mercados fronteiriços carenciados e em Estados em transição, regiões onde o défice de investimento é mais acentuado e onde as condições propícias ao investimento privado têm sido historicamente mais fracas.

O desenvolvimento do roteiro responde a um paradoxo estrutural no cerne do desafio de financiamento de África: o continente enfrenta um défice anual de financiamento para o desenvolvimento de cerca de 400 mil milhões de dólares. Apesar de ter 17% da população mundial, África atrai apenas 3,5% do investimento direto estrangeiro global e menos de 2% do capital de risco global. A evolução da dinâmica geopolítica e um ambiente de contração da ajuda pública ao desenvolvimento intensificaram ainda mais a urgência. Já estão em curso projetos-piloto na Libéria, na Somália, em Moçambique e no Djibuti.

No discurso de abertura, a Vice-Presidente Sénior do Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, falando em nome do Presidente, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, sublinhou a urgência do momento. “Chegou a hora de uma mudança de paradigma, da dependência da ajuda para um desenvolvimento impulsionado pelo investimento. O Roteiro HRI cria essa base. Esclarece papéis. Sequencia intervenções. Posiciona o financiamento público e de desenvolvimento onde ele deve estar: como um catalisador, não um substituto”, afirmou.

A Diretora-geral do Fórum Económico Mundial, Sheba Crocker, afirmou: “As comunidades mais vulneráveis do mundo merecem mais do que ajuda de emergência – merecem investimento nas empresas e economias que lhes permitam prosperar nos seus próprios termos. Baseado na iniciativa global HRI e apoiado por mais de 100 parceiros, este Roteiro reflete a nossa determinação em ultrapassar a fragmentação e avançar para as abordagens coordenadas e orientadas para o investimento de que os mercados de fronteira de África necessitam urgentemente”.

O Vice-Presidente Interino para o Desenvolvimento Regional, Integração e Execução de Projetos, Abdul Kamara, moderou um painel de discussão sobre a Catalisação do Investimento nos Mercados Africanos de Fronteira, que se seguiu às intervenções de alto nível. Os participantes no painel foram a Diretora-Geral do WEF, Sheba Crocker; Bihi Iman Egeh, Ministro das Finanças da Somália; Chris Bold, Diretor do Departamento de Instituições Financeiras Internacionais do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, da Commonwealth e do Desenvolvimento (FCDO) do Reino Unido; e Sara Mbago-Bhunu, Diretora da Divisão da África Oriental e Austral do Fundo Internacional para o Desenvolvimento Agrícola (FIDA).

O ministro Egeh argumentou que a Somália não carece de empreendedorismo, mas sofre de lacunas na redução do risco e de exclusão do sistema de bancos correspondentes. Mbago-Bhunu recorreu a exemplos do trabalho do IFAD com pequenos agricultores – incluindo um esquema de vouchers digitais com bancos comerciais quenianos – para defender que a implementação em zonas rurais e periurbanas exigirá ferramentas financeiras, digitais e de infraestruturas integradas, e não intervenções isoladas. Bold explicou que o FCDO está a orientar as suas instituições de financiamento ao desenvolvimento para Estados frágeis que dependem de capital concessional, e apontou o sistema de dinheiro móvel M-Pesa, do Quénia, como prova de que a criação de novos mercados depende tanto da reforma regulatória quanto do capital.

Bumi Camara, Economista-Chefe de Fragilidade e Resiliência do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, fez uma apresentação sobre o roteiro.

O Roteiro, que integra a resiliência climática e a inclusão de género como pilares centrais, está alinhado com a bússola estratégica dos Quatro Pontos Cardeais do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, bem como com a Nova Arquitetura Financeira Africana para o Desenvolvimento (NAFAD), aprovada através do Consenso de Abidjan em abril de 2026.

Alinha-se também com a Ação Financeira Afirmativa para as Mulheres em África (AFAWA) do Banco – que, até à data, já desembolsou 1,33 mil milhões de dólares para empresas lideradas por mulheres em 45 países.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contactos para os media:
Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento:
Olufemi Terry
Departamento de Comunicação e Relações Externas
media@afdb.org

Fórum Económico Mundial:
Departamento de Comunicação
communications@weforum.org 
​public.affairs@weforum.org

Sobre o Fórum Económico Mundial:
​O Fórum Económico Mundial é a principal plataforma internacional para parcerias público-privadas. Envolve líderes do mundo empresarial, governamental, académico e da sociedade civil para promover o diá. em torno de agendas globais, regionais e setoriais. (www.WEForum.org)

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Annual Meetings 2026 (AM2026): African Development Bank Group and World Economic Forum Partner to Unlock Investments in Africa’s Frontier Markets

Source: APO

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday launched the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing (HRI) Roadmap for Africa to channel private investment into Africa’s most fragile economies.  

The HRI Roadmap for Africa sets out a coordinated, country-led approach to mobilising commercial and catalytic capital in underserved frontier markets and transition states, regions where the investment gap is most acute and the enabling conditions for private investment have historically been weakest.

The roadmap’s development responds to a structural paradox at the heart of Africa’s financing challenge: the continent faces an annual development financing gap of about $400 billion. Despite having 17 percent of the world’s population, Africa attracts only 3.5 percent of global foreign direct investment and less than 2 percent of global venture capital. Shifting geopolitical dynamics and contracting official development assistance environment have further intensified the urgency. Pilots are already underway in Liberia, Somalia, Mozambique, and Djibouti.

In keynote remarks, African Development Bank Group Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, speaking on behalf of President Dr Sidi Ould Tah, underscored the urgency of the moment. “The time for a paradigm shift, from aid dependency to investment-led development, is now. The HRI Roadmap creates that foundation. It clarifies roles. It sequences interventions. It positions public and development finance where it belongs: as a catalyst, not a substitute.”

Ms. Sheba Crocker, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum; said: “The world’s most vulnerable communities deserve more than relief — they deserve investment in the businesses and economies that allow them to thrive on their own terms. Built on the global HRI initiative and backed by more than 100 partners, this Roadmap reflects our determination to move beyond fragmentation and toward the coordinated, investment-led approaches that Africa’s frontier markets urgently require.”

Acting Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Dr Abdul Kamara, moderated a panel discussion on Catalysing Investment in Africa’s Frontier Markets that followed the high-level remarks. The panellists were WEF MD Sheba Crocker; Bihi Iman Egeh, Minister of Finance of Somalia; Chris Bold, Director, International Financial Institutions Department at the U.K’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); and Sara Mbago-Bhunu, Director, East and Southern Africa Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Minister Egeh argued that Somalia does not lack entrepreneurship but suffers from de-risking gaps and exclusion from correspondent banking. Mbago-Bhunu drew on examples from IFAD’s work with smallholder farmers– including a digital-voucher scheme with Kenyan commercial banks– to make the case that rural and peri-urban implementation will require integrated financial, digital and infrastructure tools, not isolated interventions. Bold explained that FCDO is steering its development finance institutions toward fragile states that rely on concessional capital. He pointed to Kenya’s M-Pesa mobile money system as proof that creating new markets depends as much on regulatory reform as on capital.

Mr. Bumi Camara, African Development Bank Chief Fragility and Resilience Economist, made a presentation on the roadmap.https://apo-opa.co/3PM4dKI

The Roadmap, which embeds climate resilience and gender inclusion as core pillars, aligns with the African Development Bank’s Four Cardinal Points strategic compass as well as the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), endorsed through the Abidjan Consensus in April 2026. It also aligns with the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) — which to date has disbursed $1.33 billion to women-led businesses across 45 countries.

 Click to download a copy of the HRI Roadmap (https://apo-opa.co/4veVCz4)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contacts:
African Development Bank Group:
Olufemi Terry
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

World Economic Forum:
communications@weforum.org
​public.affairs@weforum.org

About the World Economic Forum:
The World Economic Forum is the leading international platform for public-private partnerships. It engages leaders from business, government, academia and civil society to advance dialogue around global, regional and industry agendas. (www.WEForum.org)

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Assemblées annuelles 2026 : les institutions africaines de financement du développement s’unissent pour soutenir la Mission 300

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French


De hauts responsables financiers africains ont appelé, mardi, à une action coordonnée pour débloquer les quelque 250 milliards de dollars d’actifs détenus par les institutions de financement du développement (IFD) du continent afin de soutenir la Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/4aduhoQ). Cette initiative conjointe du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement et du Groupe de la Banque (www.AfDB.org) mondiale vise à raccorder 300 millions d’Africains supplémentaires à l’électricité d’ici à 2030.

Ils ont lancé cet appel collectif à l’occasion des Assemblées annuelles du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement à Brazzaville, lors d’un événement parallèle de haut niveau animé par Daniel Schroth, directeur des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique de l’institution panafricaine, sur le thème suivant : « Mobiliser les IFD et les capitaux africains pour soutenir la Mission 300 ». La session s’est tenue au Centre international de conférences de Kintélé.

« Au nom du président de la Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement, j’ai le plaisir d’annoncer un engagement de la BOAD à hauteur de 1,1 milliard de francs CFA (environ 1,7 million d’euros) en faveur de la Mission 300 », a déclaré Oumar Tembely, directeur de l’énergie et des ressources naturelles à la BOAD. Il s’exprimait aux côtés de hauts responsables du groupe Trade and Development Bank (TDB), d’Africa50, d’African Guarantee Fund (AGF), de Cygnum Capital et du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement, réunis pour examiner des propositions en vue de créer une coalition d’institutions de financement du développement africaines dédiée à la Mission 300.

En ouvrant la session, Kevin Kariuki, vice-président du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement, a souligné l’ampleur du défi. « Aucune institution ne peut à elle seule atteindre l’objectif de la Mission 300, a-t-il reconnu. Nous avons besoin que les capitaux africains travaillent de manière plus systématique pour le développement de l’Afrique. C’est pourquoi nous constituons une coalition des IFD africaines pour la Mission 300. »

La Mission 300 nécessite environ 238 milliards de dollars pour sa mise en œuvre dans les 30 pays des deux premières cohortes, la moitié de ce financement devant provenir du secteur privé. Des intervenants de la session ont souligné que les mécanismes de financement mixte, notamment le Fonds pour l’énergie durable en Afrique (SEFA) du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement, constituaient des outils essentiels pour attirer les capitaux privés et institutionnels vers les projets énergétiques. L’événement a également mis en exergue le potentiel de financement plus large des marchés africains.

« Il y a 2 500 milliards de dollars qui dorment dans les bilans des banques commerciales africaines, a soutenu Constant N’zi, directeur général d’African Guarantee Fund. La mission d’AGF est de débloquer ces capitaux pour financer l’économie. »

Les intervenants ont fait valoir que les institutions de financement du développement possédaient une solide connaissance des marchés locaux, des capacités de financement à long terme et des mandats de développement alignés sur les priorités nationales. Mais elles se heurtent à des obstacles persistants, notamment une coordination fragmentée, des capacités institutionnelles limitées et un accès insuffisant aux instruments d’atténuation des risques, a-t-il noté.

La coalition Mission 300 proposée vise à remédier à ces contraintes structurelles tout en fonctionnant comme un mécanisme de coordination allégé au sein du Groupe de coordination des partenaires au développement existant, qui comprend déjà 35 institutions bilatérales et multilatérales. Cette initiative s’inscrit également dans le cadre de la Nouvelle architecture financière africaine pour le développement (NAFAD), portée par le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement.

Pour sa part, le président et directeur général du groupe TDB, Admassu Tadesse, a réaffirmé le soutien de son institution à cette initiative. « La Mission 300 est une initiative à laquelle nous adhérons depuis le premier jour », a-t-il assuré.

Les discussions menées à Brazzaville ont mis en évidence une  volonté croissante des institutions de financement du développement africaines de jouer un rôle plus central dans le financement des priorités du continent en matière d’infrastructures et d’énergie, y compris l’initiative Mission 300.

Distribué par APO Group pour African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact médias :
Frederica Lourenço
Département de la communication et des relations extérieures
media@afdb.org

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2026 Annual Meetings: African development finance institutions unite in support of Mission 300

Source: APO


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Senior African finance leaders attending the African Development Bank Group’s Annual Meetings (www.AfDB.org) in Brazzaville have called for coordinated action to unlock an estimated $250 billion in assets held by the continent’s development finance institutions to support Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/4uCkocy), a joint initiative by the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

They made the call on Tuesday at a high-level side event moderated by Dr Daniel Schroth, the Bank’s Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, on Mobilising African DFIs and Capital in Support of Mission 300, held at the Kintele International Conference Centre.

“On behalf of the President of BOAD, I am pleased to announce a commitment of BOAD in support of Mission 300 of 1,1 billion FCFA (approximately €1.7 million),” said Oumar Tembely, BOAD’s Director of Energy and Natural Resources. He spoke alongside senior officials from the Trade and Development Bank, Africa50, the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), Cygnum Capital, and the African Development Bank, who had gathered to examine proposals for a dedicated Mission 300 African DFI coalition.

Opening the session, African Development Bank Vice President Kevin Kariuki stressed the scale of the challenge. “No single institution can deliver the Mission 300 goal alone,” he said. “We need African capital to work more systematically for African development. That is why we are bringing together a Mission 300 African DFI Coalition.”

Mission 300 requires approximately $238 billion across the 30 countries in its first two implementation cohorts, with roughly half of that financing expected to come from the private sector. Speakers highlighted blended finance mechanisms, including the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, as essential tools for attracting private and institutional capital to energy projects.  The event also underscored the wider financing potential within African markets.

“There is $2.5 trillion sitting in the balance sheets of African commercial banks,” said Constant N’zi, Chief Executive Officer of the African Guarantee Fund. “The mandate of AGF is to unlock that capital to finance the economy.”

Panellists argued that development finance institutions possess strong local market knowledge, long-term financing capabilities and development mandates aligned with national priorities, yet face persistent barriers, including fragmented coordination, limited institutional capacity, and insufficient access to risk-mitigation instruments.

The proposed Mission 300 coalition aims to address those structural constraints while operating as a light coordination mechanism within the existing Development Partner Coordination Group, which already includes 35 bilateral and multilateral institutions. The initiative also aligns with the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), championed by the African Development Bank.

Admassu Tadesse, Group President and Managing Director of the Trade and Development Bank, reaffirmed his institution’s support for the initiative. “Mission 300 is an initiative that we have been subscribed to from day one,” he said.

The discussion in Brazzaville reflected a growing momentum among African development finance institutions to play a more central role in financing the continent’s infrastructure and energy priorities, including the Mission 300 initiative.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Frederica Lourenço
Communication and External Relations
media@afdb.org

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Instituições financeiras de desenvolvimento africanas unem-se em apoio à Missão 300 durante os Encontros Anuais do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento

Source: Africa Press Organisation – Portuguese –

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Os líderes financeiros africanos de alto nível presentes nos Encontros Anuais do Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento (www.AfDB.org), em Brazzaville, apelaram a uma ação coordenada para mobilizar cerca de 250 mil milhões de dólares em ativos detidos pelas instituições financeiras de desenvolvimento do continente, com vista a apoiar a Missão 300 (https://apo-opa.co/4uCkocy), uma iniciativa conjunta do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento e do Grupo Banco Mundial para ligar 300 milhões de africanos à rede elétrica até 2030.

O apelo foi feito na terça-feira, num evento paralelo de alto nível moderado por Daniel Schroth, Diretor do Banco para as Energias Renováveis e a Eficiência Energética, sobre Mobilizar as IFD africanas e o capital em apoio à Missão 300, realizado no Centro Internacional de Conferências de Kintele.

“Em nome do Presidente do BOAD, tenho o prazer de anunciar um compromisso do BOAD no apoio à Missão 300 no valor de 1,1 mil milhões de FCFA (aproximadamente 1,7 milhões de euros)”, afirmou Oumar Tembely, Diretor de Energia e Recursos Naturais do BOAD. Falou ao lado de altos responsáveis do Banco de Comércio e Desenvolvimento, da Africa50, do Fundo Africano de Garantia (AGF), da Cygnum Capital e do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, que se reuniram para analisar propostas para uma coligação de IFD africanas dedicada à Missão 300.

Ao abrir a sessão, o Vice-Presidente do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, Kevin Kariuki, salientou a dimensão do desafio. “Nenhuma instituição pode, por si só, concretizar o objetivo da Missão 300”, afirmou. “Precisamos que o capital africano trabalhe de forma mais sistemática para o desenvolvimento africano. É por isso que estamos a reunir uma coligação de IFD africanas para a Missão 300”, acrescentou.

A Missão 300 requer aproximadamente 238 mil milhões de dólares nos 30 países das suas duas primeiras fases de implementação, prevendo-se que cerca de metade desse financiamento provenha do setor privado. Os oradores destacaram os mecanismos de financiamento misto, incluindo o Fundo de Energia Sustentável para África do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, como ferramentas essenciais para atrair capital privado e institucional para projetos energéticos. O evento também sublinhou o potencial de financiamento mais alargado nos mercados africanos.

“Existem 2,5 biliões de dólares nos balanços dos bancos comerciais africanos”, afirmou Constant N’zi, Diretor Executivo do Fundo Africano de Garantia. “O mandato do AGF é desbloquear esse capital para financiar a economia”, salientou.

Os participantes do painel argumentaram que as instituições de financiamento ao desenvolvimento possuem um forte conhecimento do mercado local, capacidades de financiamento a longo prazo e mandatos de desenvolvimento alinhados com as prioridades nacionais, mas enfrentam barreiras persistentes, incluindo coordenação fragmentada, capacidade institucional limitada e acesso insuficiente a instrumentos de mitigação de risco.

A proposta coligação Missão 300 visa abordar essas restrições estruturais, operando simultaneamente como um mecanismo de coordenação ágilno âmbito do atual Grupo de Coordenação de Parceiros de Desenvolvimento, que já inclui 35 instituições bilaterais e multilaterais. A iniciativa também se alinha com a Nova Arquitetura Financeira Africana para o Desenvolvimento (NAFAD), defendida pelo Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento. 

Admassu Tadesse, presidente do grupo e diretor-geral do Banco de Comércio e Desenvolvimento, reafirmou o apoio da sua instituição à iniciativa. “A Mission 300 é uma iniciativa que apoiamos desde o primeiro dia”, afirmou.

O debate em Brazzaville refletiu um impulso crescente entre as instituições financeiras de desenvolvimento africanas para desempenharem um papel mais central no financiamento das prioridades do continente em matéria de infraestruturas e energia, incluindo a iniciativa Missão 300.

Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

​Contacto para os media:
Frederica Lourenço
Comunicação e Relações Externas
​media@afdb.org

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President Ramaphosa to address Official Launch of Kruger National Park Centenary

Source: President of South Africa –

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Saturday, 30 May 2026, address the official launch of the Kruger National Park (KNP) Centenary Commemoration at Skukuza Rest Camp in Mpumalanga.

The year 2026 marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s conservation history as Kruger National Park commemorates 100 years since its formal proclamation in 1926.

Held under the theme, “Our Heritage, Our Future,” the centenary commemorations will reflect on a century of conservation leadership, biodiversity protection, scientific progress, tourism development and heritage management.

This milestone also reaffirms the country’s commitment to environmental sustainability, inclusivity and shared heritage.

The centenary further provides an opportunity to honour the generations of rangers, scientists, communities, conservationists and leaders who contributed to the development and protection of one of the world’s most renowned protected areas.

The commemoration highlights the importance of collaborative partnerships in conservation, tourism and environmental sustainability, as well as the resilience and recovery of the Park following recent flooding that affected infrastructure, tourism operations and surrounding communities.

Kruger National Park remains one of South Africa’s leading conservation and tourism assets and continues to contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation, research, economic development and job creation.

The President will address the official launch as follows:

Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026
Time: 18h00
Venue: Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga
 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya Spokesperson to the President, media@presideny.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
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Annual Meetings 2026 (AM2026): African Development Bank (AfDB) 2025 Trade Finance Report Highlights Resilience of African Financial Institutions After Covid-19

Source: APO – Report:

The fifth edition of the African Development Bank’s (www.AfDB.org) Trade Finance Report paints a picture of resilient African financial institutions in the post Covid-19 years, despite a challenging global environment.

Download Report: https://apo-opa.co/4uNLXj6

The 2025 Trade Finance Report, which provides an updated assessment of Africa’s trade finance landscape over the 2020–2024 period following the COVID-19 pandemic, was released on Wednesday, during the Bank Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings, taking place in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

The report examines trade finance from a bank-intermediation perspective, filling important knowledge gaps while introducing new dimensions such as digitalization and environmental sustainability. It also, for the first time, quantifies the contribution of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to trade finance on the continent.

Presenting the report, Anthony Simpasa, Director of the Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department at the African Development Bank, said unmet demand for trade finance declined by nearly 10% between 2019 and 2024, supported by strong interventions from multilateral development banks, governments, export credit agencies, and global banks. These interventions were critical in sustaining trade flows, with estimates suggesting that, in the absence of DFI support, the annual trade finance gap could have exceeded $100 billion during the 2020-2024 period.

“Renewed geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global supply chains and trade flows could reverse post-pandemic progress in narrowing the trade finance gap. For instance, tighter correspondent risk appetite could widen the trade finance gap to $86.6-$102.6 billion by 2027 under a moderate to severe scenario. This is at least 17.7 % above the 2024 level, potentially erasing a decade of gains,” Simpasa cautioned.

The report launch event was attended by policymakers, private-sector leaders, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Financial Institutions, and trade finance experts from across the continent.

Some highlights of the report:

  • The unmet demand for trade finance in Africa ranged from $74 billion to $92 billion in 2024. The estimated gap of $ 74 billion represents 5.4% of the region’s total merchandise trade value in 2024.
  • African trade remains underserved by commercial banks. Over the five years of the study, commercial banks intermediated an average of 23% of Africa’s total trade, down from 40% during 2011-19.
  • Between 2020 and 2024, intra-African trade accounted for 34% of total bank-intermediated trade, representing an 89 percent increase above pre-pandemic levels (2011-2019).
  • Foreign exchange liquidity shortages have become the primary barrier limiting banks’ growth in trade finance. About 36% of banks cited limited foreign exchange liquidity as the primary constraint to their trade finance growth between 2020 and 2024, compared with 18% in the 2015-2019 period.
  • The adoption of digital trade finance solutions by banks remains low, primarily due to high implementation costs and inadequate technological infrastructure. Only 28% of the banks surveyed reported having adopted digital tools or platforms for their trade finance operations.

In a short panel discussion following the launch, Didier Acouetey, Senior Advisor to African Development Bank President Sidi Ould Tah for the Private Sector, Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals for the  African Union Commission, Admassu Tadesse, Group President and Managing Director, Trade and Development Bank; and Mehdi Tanani, Regional Director for Central Africa, Proparco, discussed the report’s findings, noting opportunities and challenges to unlocking sustainable bank-intermediated trade finance in Africa.

Although trade finance remains a major constraint for most of Africa, exciting innovations are gaining ground, such as digitization, guarantees and asset management initiatives to expand the trade finance asset class and related offerings to the market, Tadesse said. “This should be advanced further by new systemic initiatives such as New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) and related thrusts such as derisking and smart partnerships that should multiply the impact of African capital and unlock more global capital,” he added.

“NAFAD gives us, for the first time, a coherent continental framework to close the trade finance gap — not project by project, but systemically. That is the shift that changes everything for African SMEs,” Acouetey noted.

Commissioner Belobe called for eliminating the ‘missing middle’ in African banking. “SMEs are too large for microfinance, too small for corporate banking, but far too commercially important to be left outside the trade finance system. It is time for commercial banks to treat SME trade finance as a deliberate, core business line, not a residual activity,” he said.

“Africa will not close its trade finance gap by adding constraints, but by building a more resilient, more digital, and more sustainable trade finance ecosystem — one that protects SMEs against global shocks while accelerating the continent’s economic integration,” Tanani said.

The African Development Bank and other DFIs have played a significant role in reducing the trade finance gap in Africa. Development finance institutions facilitated about $32 billion in trade finance annually between 2020 and 2024, accounting for about 3% of Africa’s total merchandise trade on average over the same period.

The African Development Bank’s Trade Finance Program was established in 2013, with an inaugural survey conducted in 2014. Since 2014, AfDB has produced 4 periodic surveys, including two country-specific reports on Kenya and Tanzania.

Read the full report here https://apo-opa.co/4uNLXj6.

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: media@afdb.org.

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Turtles finally have a place in the tree of life: X-ray study of South African fossils was a decider

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Valentin Buffa, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Palaeontology, University of Zurich

The origin of turtles has always been a bit of a puzzle for scientists who study the evolution of animals. To this day, where they fit in the tree of life remains a highly debated topic.

The evolutionary relationships of most vertebrate groups are well understood. Thanks to genetic and morphological (anatomical, body shape) data, even animals with highly specialised skeletons can be clearly placed on the animal family tree. Examples include whales or birds.

Turtles, however, have long remained an exception. Genetic studies identify them as relatives of the so-called archosaurs. This is a group that includes modern birds and crocodiles as well as extinct reptiles like dinosaurs and pterosaurs. But the fossil record seemed to tell a different story. Living turtles and their fossil relatives were so specialised that they offered few clues that would link even the oldest turtle fossils to other reptile groups. Or so scientists thought.

Our international team of palaeontologists has now provided a comprehensive reassessment of the turtle’s place in the animal world. Our analysis sheds new light on the relationships among primitive turtles. It confirms that Eunotosaurus africanus, a fossil from South Africa and Malawi, which was presumed to be a “proto-turtle”, is not a direct ancestor of modern turtles. Instead, this animal is very distantly related to modern reptiles, finding its deep root among much older reptilian ancestors that have no modern representatives.

Based on anatomy, the phylogenetic analysis also provides the first robust support from fossil studies for the close relationship between turtles and the archosaur (bird-crocodilian) lineage.

For more than 20 years, genetic data and anatomical data reached different conclusions about the relationships of turtles. Now they agree.

Comparing reptile anatomy

Fifteen researchers from South Africa, the US, UK, France and Germany participated in the study. Their combined expertise included:

  • computed tomography (CT) technology (advanced x-rays)

  • reptilian anatomy and phylogenetics

  • Permo-Triassic stratigraphy (the study of rock layers where fossils are found).

The combination was critical to obtain these groundbreaking results. Collection staff from the Evolutionary Studies Institute, Iziko South African Museum, National Museum, Albany Museum and Council for Geoscience in South Africa were also instrumental in enabling access to the specimens.

The team painstakingly compiled anatomical comparisons across more than 200 fossil reptile species. We hoped to find previously overlooked similarities between early shelled turtles, their shell-less predecessors, and other early reptiles. Comparisons of the bones that frame the brain cavity were particularly important. These couldn’t previously be seen by scientists, but with powerful CT scanning methods their anatomy was laid bare.

Paleoartistic reconstruction of a pair of Eunotosaurus africanus. Artist: Gabriel Ugueto, Author provided (no reuse)

Particularly surprising was what we learned about Eunotosaurus africanus, a 30cm-long burrowing reptile that lived in southern Africa some 260 million years ago. Previous studies considered it as the oldest known member of the turtle family, or a “proto-turtle”. Its broadened trunk and wide ribs looked something like a turtle shell. We studied almost all of the material of Eunotosaurus available in South African collections to address this idea once again.

Our working group at the Evolutionary Studies Institute studies some of the oldest rock layers from the Karoo Basin of South Africa, where Eunotosaurus is found. If Eunotosaurus was indeed a “proto-turtle”, we’d expect to find the forerunners of living lizards, crocodiles or birds (that is, reptiles) in these same layers. Paradoxically, we’ve found no other close relatives of modern reptiles at all. This made us suspect that even if turtles are ancient relatives of living birds and crocodilians, perhaps Eunotosaurus was no “proto-turtle” at all.

One breakthrough was reconstructing the bones of the braincase (housing the brain and ear) from high-resolution x-ray images of fossil and living reptiles. By peering inside the skull of Eunotosaurus, and comparing its bones with those of undisputed fossil turtles, we could see previously out-of-reach aspects of their anatomy for the first time.

These x-ray scans revealed the very primitive anatomy of Eunotosaurus. For example, it has bones in the back of the skull that were lost in turtles and all living reptiles. Features like a slender ear bone (the stapes) and the hooked fifth toe that are present in many living reptiles and other fossil turtles were completely lacking in Eunotosaurus. In contrast, the braincase of unambiguous fossil turtles, such as Proganochelys quenstedti, shared a suite of characteristics that are found in the ancestors of crocodilians and birds, but absent in Eunotosaurus.

These lines of evidence provides firm anatomical support that turtles are the closest living relatives of archosaurs. When Eunotosaurus was considered a “proto-turtle”, many of these features were considered to have evolved independently in the turtle lineage. Now, we show that turtles share these features with their archosaur relatives because they inherited them from a common ancestor.

Eunotosaurus fossil. Author provided (no reuse)

These new results now place the origin of turtles where it fits better with both fossil and genetic data. When geneticists study living turtles, they compare their DNA to modern birds, crocodiles and lizards to infer evolutionary relationships. Our fossil findings now align with what those genetic comparisons have been suggesting all along: turtles branched off from the same ancestor that gave rise to crocodiles and birds.

Instead of being a living group of relics with ancestors present in the Middle Permian, turtles, like other modern reptiles, diversified and evolved their shell in the Triassic Period, approximately 20 million years after Eunotosaurus was already extinct.

With turtles now firmly placed among their closest living relatives, palaeontologists will need to reassess other long-standing questions about reptile evolution. Advanced imaging techniques like computed tomography should now be applied to other enigmatic fossil groups, potentially clarifying their evolutionary relationships.

Our work highlights the fact that overlooked early reptile fossils, particularly those found in the South African fossil record, may hold the key to understanding reptile relationships.

– Turtles finally have a place in the tree of life: X-ray study of South African fossils was a decider
– https://theconversation.com/turtles-finally-have-a-place-in-the-tree-of-life-x-ray-study-of-south-african-fossils-was-a-decider-282871

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La croissance africaine résiste face aux turbulences mondiales, selon le rapport « Perspectives économiques en Afrique 20 26 »

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

  • Le continent a enregistré une croissance moyenne de son PIB estimée à 4,4 % en 2025, 22 économies affichant des taux supérieurs à 5 %.
  • En 2026, l’Afrique devrait connaître une croissance économique de 4,2 %, malgré l’intensification des tensions géopolitiques et les perturbations de l’offre mondiale.
  • L’Afrique centrale devrait voir la croissance de son PIB passer de 3,6 % en 2025 à 3,8 % en 2026, soutenue par des prix du pétrole qui restent élevés.

La croissance économique des pays africains devrait atteindre 4,2 % en 2026, en légère baisse par rapport aux 4,4 % enregistrés en 2025, avant de rebondir à 4,4 % en 2027. Les conclusions du rapport « Perspectives économiques en Afrique 2026 », publié ce mardi lors des Assemblées annuelles du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement à Brazzaville (www.AfDB.org), soulignent la résilience persistante du continent face aux tensions géopolitiques, au resserrement des conditions financières à l’échelle mondiale et aux perturbations des chaînes d’approvisionnement.

Selon ce rapport phare de l’institution panafricaine de développement, la croissance de l’Afrique en 2025 a été soutenue par une meilleure gestion macroéconomique, une production agricole plus solide, des prix élevés des matières premières et la poursuite des réformes structurelles. Le continent reste l’une des régions du monde qui affiche la croissance la plus rapide, vingt-deux pays devant connaître une progression supérieure à 5 % en 2025.

Publié sur le thème « Mobiliser des ressources à grande échelle pour le financement du développement de l’Afrique dans un monde fragmenté », le rapport indique que pour maintenir une croissance plus rapide, inclusive et plus résiliente, il faudrait opérer un virage décisif vers une mobilisation et un déploiement de capitaux à grande échelle. Cela inclut le renforcement de la mobilisation des ressources nationales, l’approfondissement et l’intégration des systèmes financiers, l’expansion des marchés de capitaux et le renforcement de l’autonomie de l’Afrique dans le domaine de la finance internationale.

Perspectives régionales mitigées

  • L’Afrique de l’Est devrait rester la région du continent qui connaît la croissance la plus rapide, bien que ralentie, passant de 6,6 % en 2025 à 5,9 % en 2026, sous l’effet de la hausse des coûts de l’énergie et des importations liée aux perturbations au Moyen-Orient. Un rebond à 6,4 % est prévu en 2027.
  • L’Afrique de l’Ouest devrait rester relativement stable, avec une croissance estimée à 4,7 % en 2026, globalement en ligne avec les 4,8 % estimés pour 2025, soutenue par une forte production agricole et la poursuite des investissements dans les infrastructures.
  • L’Afrique du Nord devrait connaître une croissance de 4,0 % en 2026, contre 4,4 % en 2025, reflétant une baisse de la demande touristique en provenance des pays du Golfe persique et les répercussions plus larges des perturbations des chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales.
  • L’Afrique centrale est l’une des rares régions qui devrait connaître une légère reprise, avec une croissance passant 3,6 % en 2025 à 3,8 % en 2026, soutenue par des prix du pétrole qui restent élevés.
  • La croissance en Afrique australe devrait rester modérée, passant de 2,3 % en 2025 à 2,1 % en 2026, pénalisée par un recul de la production minière et agricole et par la hausse des coûts énergétiques.

Les risques de détérioration des perspectives économiques demeurent néanmoins importants. L’inflation devrait rester élevée, à 10,4 % en 2026, ce qui continuera de poser des défis à la stabilité macroéconomique et aux perspectives de croissance. Les tensions géopolitiques persistantes, conjuguées aux perturbations prolongées des chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales et du secteur énergétique, pourraient peser davantage sur les équilibres budgétaires et extérieurs en raison de la hausse des prix de l’énergie et des engrais.

Par ailleurs, la volatilité des marchés financiers et la dépréciation des taux de change risquent d’amplifier les vulnérabilités budgétaires et liées à la dette, tandis que la fragmentation mondiale croissante pourrait intensifier les pressions sur les flux de financement extérieur, y compris l’aide publique au développement.

Combler le déficit de financement de l’Afrique

Le cœur du rapport 2026 contient une évaluation sans concessions du déficit de financement du développement de l’Afrique : le continent est confronté à un déficit annuel de plus de 1 300 milliards de dollars pour atteindre les Objectifs de développement durable. La Banque africaine de développement attribue ce déficit à une faible mobilisation des ressources nationales, à une intermédiation financière insuffisante et au resserrement des conditions de financement extérieur.

Toutefois, selon la Banque, le problème ne réside pas seulement dans le manque de ressources, mais il vient aussi de la capacité à déployer efficacement les capitaux.

Avec des réformes appropriées, l’Afrique pourrait débloquer jusqu’à 1 430 milliards de dollars par an grâce à une meilleure perception des recettes, des investissements publics plus efficaces, la lutte contre la corruption et les flux financiers illicites, des marchés de capitaux plus profonds, des partenariats public-privé élargis, le financement de la diaspora et une meilleure utilisation du capital naturel.

Parmi les principales opportunités identifiées figurent environ 469 milliards de dollars de recettes annuelles supplémentaires grâce à une mobilisation fiscale et non fiscale renforcée, ainsi qu’environ 299 milliards de dollars d’économies potentielles résultant d’une meilleure efficacité des investissements publics. Les partenariats public-privé sont présentés comme un levier puissant, chaque dollar supplémentaire d’investissement public étant associé à environ 1,40 dollar d’investissement privé.

Les investisseurs institutionnels, notamment les fonds de pension, les assureurs et les fonds souverains, gèrent environ 4 000 milliards de dollars d’actifs. Pour autant, moins de 2,7 % de ces actifs sont alloués aux infrastructures et aux secteurs productifs en Afrique, ce qui souligne un potentiel considérable, à ce jour inexploité.

Le rapport « Perspectives économiques de l’Afrique 2026 » préconise d’accélérer les efforts visant à renforcer les systèmes financiers africains par le biais de banques panafricaines, de marchés de capitaux intégrés et d’instruments innovants, tels que la finance climatique et la finance islamique. La Nouvelle architecture financière africaine pour le développement (NAFAD) (https://apo-opa.co/4uB46R8), en constitue un pilier central.

Le rapport souligne également le rôle de l’Agence africaine de notation de crédit, lancée en janvier 2026, en tant qu’outil essentiel pour remédier aux biais perçus dans les évaluations du risque souverain. Alors que la capitalisation boursière de l’Afrique a atteint 1 200 milliards de dollars en 2024 (multipliée par près de six en deux décennies), l’activité reste concentrée en Afrique du Sud, en Égypte, au Nigeria et au Maroc, ce qui souligne la nécessité d’une intégration plus large des marchés.

En outre, le rapport met en évidence l’importance de faire progresser les initiatives continentales, telles que le Mécanisme africain de stabilité financière (https://apo-opa.co/4dAofRt), afin d’alléger les pressions exercées sur la liquidité, de renforcer la stabilité financière et d’aider les pays africains à gérer les risques liés au refinancement de leur dette à moindre coût.

Cliquez sur ce lien (https://apo-opa.co/4vgIny1) pour lire le rapport complet

Distribué par APO Group pour African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact médias :
Département de la communication et des relations extérieures
media@afdb.org

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Petroli Energy devient sponsor Argent de l’African Energy Week 2026 alors que le projet PPL 269 progresse au Nigeria

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French


La société pétrolière et gazière nigériane Petroli Energy participera en tant que sponsor Argent à l’African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, prévue du 12 au 16 octobre au Cap. Son parrainage souligne l’expansion de la présence régionale de l’entreprise dans les domaines de l’exploration en amont, du négoce et des services énergétiques de transition, ainsi que son engagement croissant auprès des plateformes d’investissement africaines, conformément à sa stratégie de croissance à long terme.

L’AEW 2026 est la principale plateforme d’investissement en amont d’Afrique, réunissant des décideurs politiques, des opérateurs et des financiers afin d’accélérer le développement du pétrole, du gaz et de l’électricité à travers le continent. L’édition 2026 se penchera en profondeur sur l’expansion de la conversion du gaz en électricité, la demande énergétique liée aux infrastructures de données et les transactions axées sur les accords, positionnant Le Cap comme une plaque tournante clé pour les flux de capitaux dans le secteur de l’énergie.

Petroli Energy poursuit actuellement sa stratégie en amont dans un contexte de cessions accélérées par les compagnies pétrolières internationales en Afrique de l’Ouest, les indépendants s’emparant d’actifs terrestres matures et comblant les lacunes de production. La société développe ses opérations conjointes et déploie des technologies géophysiques pour réduire les risques d’exploration tout en renforçant la résilience de l’approvisionnement régional sur des marchés structurellement sous-investis.

En décembre 2024, Petroli Energy a finalisé la signature du contrat pour sa licence PPL 269 après avoir remporté l’appel d’offres de la Commission nigériane de régulation du secteur pétrolier en amont (Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission) en décembre 2024. Le bloc, obtenu à l’issue d’un appel d’offres concurrentiel face à la société d’exploration pétrolière et gazière Afagaf Company, entre désormais dans les phases d’interprétation sismique et de développement technique préliminaire.

Grâce à sa branche commerciale internationale, Petroli Energy (BVI), et à un partenariat stratégique avec l’Emirates National Oil Company, le groupe dispose d’un réseau logistique de ravitaillement en mer (ship-to-ship) dans le golfe de Guinée. Cette infrastructure permet la distribution à grande échelle d’essence, de kérosène, de diesel et de GPL, renforçant ainsi ses capacités de négoce et de stockage en aval.

« La participation à l’African Energy Week 2026 est le lieu où les capitaux rencontrent les opportunités pour l’avenir énergétique de l’Afrique. Des entreprises comme Petroli Energy sont essentielles pour transformer les cycles d’octroi de licences en production et en infrastructures réelles. Leur présence témoigne de la confiance dans le développement mené par l’Afrique et dans la capacité du continent à monétiser ses ressources de manière responsable », déclare NJ Ayuk, président exécutif de la Chambre africaine de l’énergie.

Pour l’avenir, Petroli Energy donne la priorité au gaz naturel et au GPL en tant que combustibles de transition afin de répondre à la demande industrielle en Afrique subsaharienne, tout en se préparant à une intégration à plus long terme dans des systèmes énergétiques plus propres. L’entreprise évalue également les opportunités d’expansion régionale liées au développement des infrastructures, notamment les pipelines, les ports et les corridors énergétiques transfrontaliers, pour les années à venir.

Distribué par APO Group pour African Energy Chamber.