Category: Africa

Source: APO

.

Golar LNG has officially announced that its FLNG Gimi vessel has reached its Commercial Operations Date (COD) under the 20‑year lease-and-operate agreement for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project offshore Mauritania and Senegal. Achieving COD triggers the commencement of this long-term contract – unlocking approximately $3 billion in adjusted EBITDA backlog for Golar – and marks a major milestone in positioning both countries as emerging LNG exporters.

The Gimi FLNG unit will initially produce 2.4 million tons of LNG per annum, with plans to ramp up to its full capacity of 2.7 million tons. Backed by an estimated 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the GTA project is expected to bolster regional and global energy security while stimulating economic growth in both host nations.

In line with its growing presence in Africa’s energy landscape, Golar LNG has joined the 2025 edition of African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies as a Gold Partner. Taking place from September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town, AEW 2025 brings together African governments, energy companies and global investors to explore and advance opportunities across the energy value chain. The event serves as a strategic platform for companies like Golar LNG to showcase innovative FLNG solutions and their long-term commitment to Africa’s energy development.

Golar LNG’s participation at AEW aligns with the event’s broader vision to develop Africa’s estimated 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as a catalyst for energy security and poverty alleviation. In June 2024, the company signed a Project Development Agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for a new FLNG facility in the Niger Delta. The project is designed to liquefy 400–500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, contributing to Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Initiative and its goal to harness 209 trillion cubic feet of reserves to expand access to cleaner, more reliable energy.

Golar LNG has also played a pioneering role in Cameroon’s gas sector since 2018, operating the 2.4-million-ton-per-annum Hilli Episeyo FLNG facility. As the company continues to grow its balance sheet and expand its footprint across the continent, AEW: Invest in African Energies offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage African stakeholders and pursue new prospects across the natural gas value chain.

“The commercial launch of the Gimi FLNG facility is a major step forward for the MSGBC Basin and Africa’s LNG market,” says Ore Onagbesan, Program Director, AEW. “As countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania work to monetize their offshore gas resources, innovative and reliable partners such as Golar LNG will play a vital role in driving sustainable growth and long-term value.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

About AEW:
Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Source: APO

.

The Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (TLS) met from the 1st to 3rd of July 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to take stock of the eight years of field missions across the ECOWAS Member States.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, the ECOWAS Commission’s Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Ms Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, members of the first and second teams of the TLS Task Force, executives from the Customs Union and Taxation Directorate, and representatives of associations lobbying for the free movement of people and goods in West Africa, including AOCTAH/WACTAF, the Borderless Alliance, ENDA-CACID, NANTS, and ROPPA.

In his welcoming remarks, the Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, recalled the main objective of the meeting, which is not only to take stock of the actions of the TLS Task Force since the installation of the first team in 2016 up to the present day, to analyse without complacency the strengths and weaknesses of the said actions, but also to make relevant proposals likely to reinforce the gains made and correct the weaknesses, with a view to eliminating obstacles to intra-regional trade.

Opening the meeting on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandjé LITSE-TOURE, welcomed the key role played by the TLS Task Force in deepening intra-community trade through the free movement of people and goods. She praised the leadership of Dr CHAMBAS, who has brought a number of trade facilitation reforms to the attention of the region’s highest authorities, with tangible results.

The plenary session, which lasted three days, enabling participants to make proposals to allow the TLS Task Force to be more effective in its future actions. The participants also recommended that the TLS Task Force should advocate for the strengthening of Member States’ commitment to regional integration through the appointment of a Special Adviser to the Cabinet of each President of the Republic or Prime Minister. This Special Adviser to the President or Prime Minister should, as a matter of priority, monitor the application by national administrations of Community texts on the free movement of persons and goods. It was also recommended that the TLS Task Force should step up its lobbying of governments on the issue of speeding up the digitisation of customs and trade procedures in order to facilitate the flow of goods along the various ECOWAS trade corridors.

Beyond the question of the mandate of the Task Force on TLS, the participants seized the opportunity of this review meeting, in connection with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of ECOWAS, to make proposals to be fed back into the reflection on the ECOWAS of the future. These include the creation of an ECOWAS solidarity fund to promote balanced development within the community. ECOWAS should launch federative infrastructure projects (roads, railways, energy, interconnectivity, etc.) based on endogenous resources. Finally, a panel of eminent personalities will be set up to review the ECOWAS Treaty, with a view to strengthening the roles of the Parliament and the Community Court of Justice.

The Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, will shortly be travelling to Abuja to report to the Chairman of the Commission on the results of the Abidjan meeting.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

.

The Directorate of Administration and General Services is currently holding a three-day sensitization meeting on ECOWAS Procurement Standard Documents (the Procurement Code / Manual; Grant Code / Manual, and various Annexes thereof), which are strategic documents intended to ensure consistent interpretation of the documents and their proper application in alignment with international and donor-compliant procurement practices.

The Sensitization exercise is to engender clear, uniform understanding and application of the procurement standard documents during procurement processes whilst promoting clarity of Roles, Responsibilities, and Standard Timelines throughout the procurement standard document cycle.

For enhanced synergy in the ECOWAS procurement chain across all ECOWAS Institutions, and Offices, participants in this important session include officers/stakeholders from the ECOWAS Commission (Directorates of Finance – B&T / FR&G – ITS, Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Infrastructure); Office of the Auditor-General, Parliament, Court of Justice, WAHO, GIABA); Agencies (ARAA, RCDC, PPDU, ECREEE, Gender Center, Water Resources).

The meeting was declared open by the Commissioner for Internal Services (CIS) and moderated by the Director of Administration and General Services (DAGS).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

.

As part of the celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the ECOWAS Representation in Benin, with the support of the Beninese Government, the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone E, organised a commemorative march in Cotonou on Saturday 28th of June 2025.

Titled the “Jubilee Walk”, the event brought together over 300 participants from state and diplomatic institutions, ECOWAS specialised agencies, project partners, West African communities, youth organisations, NGOs, students and teachers.

The march set off from the Place de l’Amazone at 7.00am and took a looping route through the Place Bio Guéra, returning to its starting point at around 10.00am. It was led by a high-level delegation including Ambassador Amadou DIONGUE, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, the representative of the Minister for Sport, the Director of CMMC Zone E and the representative of the WAPP Secretary General. The presence of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, the Resident Representatives of UEMOA and UNFPA, as well as Ambassador Francis OKE, former Permanent Representative of the ECOWAS to the African Union, enhanced the solemnity of the event.

In keeping with the theme of the golden jubilee, “Stronger together for a brighter future”. the march was punctuated by messages in favour of unity and solidarity, the essential foundations of successful regional integration.

In his speech, the ECOWAS Resident Representative said: “This march symbolises our shared commitment to an ECOWAS of peoples, united and in solidarity. In the face of current challenges, it is imperative that we unite our voices on the international stage to defend the interests of our region and accelerate the implementation of our integration policies, in order to create opportunities for our peoples”.

The ceremony ended with words of thanks and encouragement from Ambassador Francis OKE, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, the representative of the Minister for Sport and the Resident Representative of the ECOWAS. They all stressed that the support, solidarity and unity of the peoples are the foundation of West African political and economic integration. The morning ended in a convivial atmosphere, with refreshments and a family photo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

.

Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment “Children Caught in Conflict”, with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures. 

Hundreds of children have recounted harrowing stories of terror and loss after their homes in Sudan’s North Darfur region were attacked, with many telling Save the Children how they lost contact with friends and loved ones [1].  

Violence is happening daily in North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan’s two-year conflict,  with fighting intensifying over the past 12 months and spiking in April this year when the Zamzam camp housing people forced from their homes was viciously attacked.  

Nearly 500,000 people – including 260,000 children – were displaced from Zamzam camp between April and May, which amounts to 99% of the camp’s population. About  75% of the displaced people ended up in the Tawila camp [2], which is located around 60km southeast of Zamzam.  

Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment “Children Caught in Conflict”, with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures. 

Many children witnessed killings and dead bodies in the streets, with some reporting witnessing young people being arrested or killed, and more than half of the girls interviewed (53%) reported incidents of sexual violence during their journey out of Zamzam to Tawila.  

Three children reported that their mothers died during the journey to Tawila, while four others said they lost a brother, and five reported the death of their fathers. 

Some children recounted supporting elderly relatives travelling long distances on donkeys, with others saying they were forced to leave behind exhausted family members under threat of violence.  

Salma*, 12, originally from El Fasher, was displaced twice — first to Zamzam, then to Tawila. She described witnessing rape, killings, and looting along the road. Her grandfather died during the journey due to exhaustion and lack of care. Upon arrival in Tawila, her family had no food or shelter and slept in the open.  

Talha*, 12, was fetching water for his family when the Zamzam camp came under attack. He witnessed shootings, and widespread panic. He ran home to find his family but discovered the house empty. He searched the schools where people were hiding but couldn’t find them. Believing his family had fled to Tawila, Talha followed the crowds on foot. After arriving, he stayed with a host family for seven days before they too left, leaving him alone. Talha told the survey team his only wish is to return to El Fasher and reunite with his family — though he doesn’t know if they are still alive. 

While some children said they feel relatively safe in Tawila, many — especially girls — expressed deep grief over the loss of family members and fear of ongoing violence. 

Children cited poor living conditions, including sleeping on the ground, extreme heat, food shortages, and the presence of armed individuals, as sources of distress.  

Girls reported high levels of fear and vulnerability, particularly when using toilets or traveling long distances for water. Many shared that friends were raped during displacement or in the camps. Both boys and girls acknowledged a rise in sexual violence, with girls aged 12–18 being the most affected. Boys were also aware of the abuse experienced by their sisters and peers.  

Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programmes and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan, said: 

“Children in North Darfur have been to hell and back. They are grieving deeply, while contemplating uncertain futures. Many lost family members before and during their displacement, and don’t have adequate tools to process their experiences. Some children have described to our staff harrowing experiences of parting with older family members on the route, many of whom they haven’t seen since.  

“Since the conflict began, children’s lives have been upended. They now wake to the sound of gunfire and shelling. Families dig trenches for protection, schools are closed, and access to healthcare is limited. Many children reported that their peers have joined armed groups or been forced into early marriage due to economic hardship.  

“Children’s rights have been completely ignored in Sudan. They are being separated from their families, seeing loved ones killed or maimed, and have already missed years of critical education, with terrible consequences for their long-term well-being. We are incredibly concerned for these children’s futures – and the future of Sudan – if this conflict doesn’t end now.” 

Save the Children is urging the international community to redouble efforts to demand a ceasefire in Sudan, to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance.  

Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan. 

Since April 2025, Save the Children has been leading a major humanitarian response in North Darfur, addressing the urgent needs of displaced populations following mass displacement from Zamzam camp and El Fasher. With hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons across the region, Save the Children has scaled up operations in El Fasher, Tawila and Central Darfur, delivering life-saving services in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, protection, and shelter. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.

Source: APO

.

Hon. Dhananjay Ramful, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Republic of Mauritius will pay a visit to Japan from July 13 to 16.

During his stay in Japan, the Minister will meet with Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and will participate in the National Day Event of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, as official guest of the Government of Japan.

The visit of the Minister is expected to further develop the bilateral relations between Japan and Mauritius.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Source: APO

Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that its Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (the “Fund”) (https://Verdant-Cap.com/) has completed a USD 3 million investment loan in Bfree. This investment will be used for distressed loan portfolio financing whereby Bfree will be purchasing distressed loan portfolios from inclusive financial institutions in Africa. In addition, Bfree will benefit from initiatives supported by the Fund’s technical assistance facility.

Bfree was established in 2020, and it is a leading ethical and digital credit collection company in Africa. Bfree delivers digital and ethical collection processes on distressed loan portfolios that comply with the global industry ethical collection standards. Distressed loan portfolio financing remains underexplored in Africa due to several factors including the lack of effective collection procedures on distressed loan portfolios, lack of accurate date for valuation of distressed loan portfolios, loan transferability issues, price variations, and ineffective judicial procedures. Bfree’s streamlined and principled collection services address the challenges of large-scale collections in the Retail and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) lending sectors in Africa. Bfree is significantly contributing to the reduction of distressed loan portfolios in the financial services sector in Africa. Bfree utilises a loan portfolio pricing model which uses proprietary data to predict repayment rates for the distressed loan portfolios. Since its incorporation five years ago, Bfree has experienced remarkable growth, serving over 6.6 million borrowers with an estimated loan portfolio value of over USD 740 million across its markets of operations.

This investment aligns with the Fund’s mandate of providing funding to financial institutions and impacting positively on the borrowers who have defaulted on their loans with the end goal of increasing their repayment rates and ultimately their credit scores as well as customer satisfaction. In addition, BFree is aiding the financial services sector by providing capital through purchasing of distressed loan portfolios that would typically have been written down to zero. This adds both capital and liquidity to financial institutions and allows them to focus on their core business of lending.

This investment is yielding for the Fund, a return aligned with the Fund’s return target, reinforcing the value of supporting high-impact financial inclusion initiatives in emerging markets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Verdant Capital.

Media Enquiries:
Verdant Capital
Orient Mahonisi
Team Assistant
T: +27 10 140 3700
E: orient.mahonisi@verdant-cap.com

Bfree
Chukwudiebele Enyi
Co-founder
T: +234 808 323 0727
E: chuks@bfree.africa

About Verdant Capital: 
Verdant Capital is an investment manager and investment bank specialising in the private capital markets and operating on a Pan-African basis. Verdant Capital is the manager of the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund. 

https://Verdant-Cap.com/

About Bfree: 
Bfree is a leading AI-powered digital credit collection company in Africa, specialising in ethical recovery of distressed loan portfolios. Bfree leverages advanced technology to deliver compliant, transparent, and respectful collection processes, aligned with global standards for ethical debt recovery.

www.Bfree.io