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Three significant developments in Africa’s energy landscape made headlines this past month: the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) reached 60% completion, the Republic of Congo finalized a pipeline cooperation agreement with Russia, and Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea signed a deal to advance a joint natural gas pipeline. These milestones underscore increasing momentum behind transnational pipeline projects in Africa, which are not only critical to unlocking hydrocarbon value chains, but also pivotal to industrial growth, regional cooperation and efforts to end energy poverty.

With African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies set to take place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, recent advances in the midstream sector underscore the growing role of large-scale infrastructure in securing Africa’s energy future. AEW 2025 will provide a platform to unpack how strategic partnerships and regional integration can transform pipelines from isolated projects into engines of inclusive development.

EACOP: Connecting Uganda to Global Markets

The 1,443-km EACOP is set to link Uganda’s oil fields in the Lake Albert region to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, facilitating the export of up to 246,000 barrels per day. With 60% of the project now completed – including land acquisition, environmental approvals and construction – EACOP is on track to become the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world.

More than just a logistical asset, EACOP represents a critical economic corridor. It is expected to generate thousands of jobs, stimulate local content and unlock ancillary infrastructure such as roads, storage facilities and power lines. By enabling Uganda to monetize its crude reserves, the pipeline also enhances fiscal revenues that can be reinvested into energy access, education and healthcare. At AEW 2025, stakeholders will explore how flagship projects like EACOP can be used as case studies for balancing investment, environmental responsibility and community development, while ensuring African nations retain sovereignty over their resources.

Russia-Congo Deal: A New Axis in Pipeline Diplomacy

Just days after the EACOP update, Russia ratified a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Congo for the construction of the Pointe-Noire-Loutete-Maloukou-Trechot oil pipeline. The agreement lays the groundwork for joint efforts in planning, financing, construction and operation of the pipeline, set to be completed in three years. The move strengthens energy ties between the two countries and opens the door for Russian investment in Congo’s midstream sector, potentially accelerating the development of critical infrastructure needed to monetize and export the country’s hydrocarbon resources.

It also signals a shift in Africa’s external energy partnerships, with Congo turning to non-Western allies to build out its infrastructure and secure long-term offtake agreements. It reinforces the idea that diversified geopolitical engagement can help African nations close the infrastructure gap faster, provided partnerships are structured transparently and with shared development objectives. As African countries look to strengthen global cooperation, AEW 2025 will offer a space to evaluate new alliances, discuss risk-sharing mechanisms and align infrastructure development with continental priorities under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea: A Boost for West African Gas Integration

A recent agreement between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, signed on June 18, aims to fast-track the development of a joint natural gas pipeline, designed to increase cross-border gas trade and support export capacity. This project is expected to deepen energy cooperation between the two countries, facilitate access to cleaner fuels and contribute to the diversification of energy sources in the region. It also exemplifies how collaborative infrastructure development can unlock new economic opportunities, stimulate investments and enhance regional energy security.

Midstream infrastructure companies are also stepping up efforts to improve regional gas trade and distribution. The West African Gas Pipeline Company, backed by Chevron among other shareholders, operates a vital pipeline that transports Nigerian gas to Benin, Togo and Ghana. This pipeline supports power generation and industrial use across multiple West African countries and plays a key role in diversifying the regional energy mix and promoting cross-border gas trade. Meanwhile, the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Company, which manages the Mozambique-South Africa Gas Pipeline, recently opened a new office in Maputo, aiming to strengthen regional gas connectivity and market integration.

Pipelines and the Fight Against Energy Poverty

While Africa accounts for 17% of the global population, it accounts for just 3.3% of global power generation. Energy poverty remains a major constraint on industrialization, education, healthcare and entrepreneurship. Pipelines, by moving fuel to where it is needed most – across borders and into domestic markets – can help address this imbalance.

“In addition to exporting crude, new pipelines have the potential to deliver LPG and natural gas to underserved regions, reducing dependence on biomass and accelerating the shift toward cleaner household and industrial energy,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber, adding that coordinated planning between countries can ensure pipelines are multi-purpose and scalable, with clear economic multipliers for local populations.

“AEW 2025 will shine a light on the role of pipelines in achieving universal energy access, examining regulatory frameworks, project finance models and technology solutions that can make these developments more inclusive and efficient,” he notes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

AEW: Invest in African Energies
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.

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In Kigoma, Tanzania, where over 80 per cent of livelihoods rely on small-scale farming, fishing, and informal trade, women constitute the majority of the agricultural workforce and are the backbone of the region’s economy.

However, in an increasingly digital economy, limited digital literacy remains a major barrier to unlocking women’s full economic potential, with many women in the region lacking the necessary skills to use mobile platforms, digital financial services, or online marketplaces, impeding the growth and formalization of women-led businesses.

Amid these challenges, women like Chichi Ramadhani Kamandwa are increasingly harnessing digital tools to grow their businesses. A 39-year-old mother of three and a determined entrepreneur living in Kigoma town, Kamandwa runs a small-scale agro-processing business specializing in the milling and packaging of maize, cassava, and nutrient-rich flours.

In 2024, she participated in a Digital Literacy and Branding workshop organized by UN Women to equip women entrepreneurs in the region with practical skills to expand their businesses and access wider markets through digital platforms. The initiative formed part of the second phase of the UN Kigoma Joint Programme (KJP II) – a collaborative effort of 17 UN agencies working with local authorities and communities to advance development and human security in Kigoma – and engaged beneficiaries of UN Women’s African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI), who facilitated sessions with hands-on technical expertise and peer-led guidance.

“Before the training, I only used my phone for calls and taking pictures. I didn’t know it could be a marketing tool for my business, helping me showcase my products online, reach more customers, and improve my record-keeping,” said Kamandwa.

With the skills she has acquired, Chichi is now transforming her business.

“I learned how to create product labels, list ingredients and registration numbers to build customer trust, and package my products attractively,” said Kamandwa, adding that the most beneficial change she made was improving my packaging.

“I realized how much the look of a product matters. After updating my logo and labels and switching to better-quality packaging, my sales increased significantly, because customers had more confidence in my brand,” she explains.

Kamandwa also began using accessible platforms such as WhatsApp to reach new customers, advertise her products, and receive orders.

In Kigoma, many women entrepreneurs navigate complex social and economic realities. Alongside their business efforts, they often carry the primary responsibility for household care and income generation, frequently without consistent support from partners.

“Once a woman begins to earn, she is often left to shoulder everything alone,” Kamadwa explains. “Some men leave for work in other towns, return only briefly, and then leave again, while the woman is left behind to care for the children, run the household, and manage her business on her own.”

Additionally, limited access to financial services or reliable support systems leaves women vulnerable to unfair treatment or exploitative arrangements, particularly when trying to access markets or services.

“When you lack information or tools, people take advantage of you,” says Kamandwa.

Through strategic partnerships with local government authorities, trade officers, mobile service providers, and private sector actors, UN Women, under KJP II, is working to create an inclusive and enabling business environment for women and youth.

“Initiatives such as the digital literacy workshop aim to strengthen the capacity of women-led enterprises to adopt innovative, market-driven practices, build resilience, and transition into formal markets for sustainable growth,” says Ms. Lilian Mwamdanga, UN Women Specialist for Women’s Economic Empowerment.

According to Kamandwa, the benefits of workshops like these extend well beyond the knowledge they gain. They create opportunities for women to connect with peers, share experiences, and establish lasting support networks. “We have even formed small groups to support and uplift one another,” she shares.

“I have also started teaching other women how to use their phones for business. It might seem like a small thing, but it can really transform how we work and sell.”

The use of digital platforms has also empowered women like Kamandwa to manage their sales independently, reducing reliance on informal and often unreliable intermediaries. With increased visibility and growing sales, Kamandwa has expanded her inventory and begun selling her products in bulk.

She also hopes to continue mentoring others and to start providing training for young women interested in business, so they too can build a future of their own.

“If I can do this, I believe other women can too. We just need the right support and a chance to grow,” she says.

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

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The 2025 Regional Report on Food and Nutrition Security in the Sahel and West Africa, reveals that nearly 52 million people in the region are affected by food insecurity. In an interview with the African Press Agency (APA news), Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Acting Subregional Coordinator of the FAO Office for West Africa said that despite the alarming figures reported, “the region has all it takes to sustainably transform its food systems,” said.

Recently appointed to head the office overseeing 15 West African country programs, she focuses on innovation, resilience, and inclusion to address the structural and cyclical challenges facing West African agriculture.

During the interview, Ms. Tchicaya presented the priorities of her mandate. She outlined her vision and ambition for the subregion to “build more inclusive, sustainable, competitive, and nutrition-sensitive food systems, based on the “Four Betters” strategy promoted by the FAO: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”

She also emphasized that despite the combined effects of conflict, climate change, and economic volatility, viable solutions can be found. These include participatory approaches such as Farmer Field Schools (FFS), support for nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies, and the implementation of green hubs as part of the Great Green Wall initiative. “In Senegal, for example, we contributed to updating the agro-sylvo-pastoral orientation law, which now includes the fisheries sector, food systems and the climate change dimension,” she explained.

“On the operational front, FAO has developed participatory approaches such as Farmer Field Schools and Dimitra clubs, which after years of implementation, have proven effective in driving behavior change and strong community engagement. These approaches are now being scaled up by the government and civil society organizations”, she said, adding “On the environmental front, the FAO supports the Senegalese government in implementing the Reforestation Agency and the Great Green Wall program, a bold initiative aiming to establish seventy resilient green hubs across arid and semi-arid areas between 2023 and 2032.”

Faced with the decline in traditional funding, Ms. Stephen-Tchicaya calls for increased and diversified resource mobilization, focusing on: “Public-Private Partnerships, a multi-donor approach, climate and green financing, strengthened engagement with non-traditional donors (emerging countries, philanthropic foundations, regional financial institutions), increased inter-agency cooperation, community and civil society involvement, as well as South-South and triangular cooperation.”

Ms. Stephen-Tchicaya also emphasized FAO’s strategic role in strengthening early warning systems, supporting agricultural governance, and using digital technologies and artificial intelligence to increase productivity, improve livestock traceability, and combat livestock theft, a phenomenon that is on the rise in the region.

“FAO actively contributes to surveillance and early warning, particularly in the area of ​​food security, through its participation in the regional system for the prevention and management of food crises (PREGEC), coordinated by the CILSS. FAO also has tools such as the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), which enables precise monitoring of the agricultural season and provides harvest forecasts. FAO will continue this support while investing more in disaster risk prevention and reduction, particularly through anticipatory actions implemented before crises worsen. FAO’s true added value in the region lies in this connection between early warning and rapid response.”

Furthermore, Ms. Tchicaya emphasized the importance of digital solutions for securing pastoral livelihoods: “We are convinced that the digitalization of the livestock sector constitutes an innovative and essential solution to protect pastoralists in the face of this unprecedented phenomenon in West Africa,” she argued.

In her closing remarks, Ms. Tchicaya issued a strong call for collective mobilization. “We must act together—governments, technical and financial partners, the private sector, and civil society—to build resilient and sustainable food systems that meet the aspirations of West African populations,” she pleaded.

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

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The World Bank has approved the Mozambique Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Project, an initiative to strengthen the health system’s ability to deliver essential services consistently and equitably. The project targets underserved and climate-vulnerable areas by investing in human resources, infrastructure, and systems that ensure continuity of care during emergencies. This project is part of a regional program to strengthen health security across Eastern and Southern Africa.  

Mozambique faces frequent floods, cyclones, disease outbreaks, and other emergencies that disrupt health services and put lives at risk. Many communities lack sufficient and trained health workers, access to essential medicines, and the tools to detect and respond quickly to crises. The project seeks to address these gaps by:

• Strengthening the health workforce capacity, particularly in high-risk areas, by improving recruitment, training, and retention systems;
• Improving pharmaceutical supply chains by supporting the regulatory agency in bringing more transparency and speed to procurement processes, lowering and standardizing prices of health commodities to ensure access to medicines, particularly during crises; and
• Enhancing disease surveillance and laboratory capacity to improve early warning and response systems to quickly detect and respond to health emergencies like cholera outbreaks or heatwaves.

The project also supports the development of climate-adaptive infrastructure and emergency preparedness plans, recognizing the growing health risks posed by climate change.

“Mozambique is already experiencing the health impacts of shocks and emergencies,” noted Luc Lecuit, World Bank Acting Division Director in Mozambique. “The program supports the government’s efforts to strengthen core health service delivery by investing in preparedness and resilience, ensuring services remain operational during floods, storms, and epidemics.”

Financed through a $201 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA)*, the initiative will be implemented over five years, concluding in September 2030.

“By prioritizing practical investments in the foundational pillars of the health sector, the Government of Mozambique is driving greater efficiency across the system and strengthening its emergency response capacity to protect lives,” said João Pires, World Bank Senior Health Specialist and Task Team Leader. “These efforts are paving the way for bold reforms to ensure the health system remains resilient and responsive, even under pressure.”

In parallel, the World Bank, together with other development partners, is increasing its support to the Mozambique health sector through a $63.7 million top-up to the ongoing District and Community Health Services Revitalization Project. This additional financing—comprising $8.7 million from IDA, $5 million from the Global Financing Facility, and $50 million from a multi-donor trust fund supported by Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland—will expand the project’s impact across the most vulnerable 63 districts of Mozambique. The operation focuses on improving access to quality primary health care, particularly for women, children, and adolescents, and strengthening service delivery at the district and community levels.

Both projects align with the forthcoming Mozambique’s Health Sector Strategic Plan (PESS, 2025-2034)  (PESS 2020–2024) and the National Adaptation Plan (2023), and complement regional efforts to strengthen health security across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

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As Africa positions itself at the forefront of the global energy transition, the continent’s mining sector faces pivotal policy decisions that will determine its role in the future supply of critical minerals. African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, taking place in Cape Town from October 1-3, emerges as a premier platform for stakeholders to engage in these crucial discussions, fostering collaboration and investment across the mining value chain.

Enhancing Value Addition and Local Content

African countries are increasingly focusing on in-country mineral processing to maximize economic benefits. Gabon, for instance, has reformed its mining code to offer tax holidays and modest royalties, aiming to boost the mining sector’s contribution to GDP to over 30% by the mid-2030s. South Africa is also encouraging investors to participate in local beneficiation initiatives, emphasizing the mining industry’s role in job creation and economic development. AMW 2025 will spotlight these initiatives, providing a platform for stakeholders to explore opportunities in value addition and discuss policies that promote local processing and industrialization.

Addressing Energy Challenges and Infrastructure Gaps

Reliable infrastructure and energy access are critical for mining operations. Projects like the $15.6 billion Lagos-Abidjan Highway, slated for construction in 2026, aim to connect multiple West African countries, facilitating the transport of minerals and boosting regional trade. AMW 2025 will explore innovative solutions and investment opportunities to enhance energy security and infrastructure, ensuring sustainable and efficient mining activities across the continent.

Formalizing Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) plays a significant role in Africa’s mining landscape, yet it often operates informally, leading to environmental degradation and social challenges. Efforts are underway to formalize ASM operations: Ghana is actively formalizing its ASM sector through a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing regulation, environmental sustainability and economic integration. Key measures include the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board, which centralizes the purchase and export of gold from licensed small-scale miners to curb smuggling and increase state revenue. At AMW 2025, sessions will focus on strategies and policies adopted by mineral-rich nations to empower small-scale mining operations, promoting responsible practices and integrating these operations into the broader mining economy.

ESG Compliance: Aligning with Global Standards

As global scrutiny around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices intensifies, African mining companies face mounting pressure to align with evolving sustainability expectations. According to an EY survey, international mining executives identified ESG as the top risk to their business in 2024, underscoring its growing strategic importance. At AMW 2025, dedicated sessions will explore how African operators can strengthen ESG compliance – minimizing environmental impact, promoting fair labor practices and aligning operations with global standards to remain competitive and responsible in a shifting investment landscape.

African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

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