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Former Niger Hydrocarbons Chief Joins MSGBC 2025 As a Speaker

Source: APO

Kabirou Zakari Oumarou, Former Director General of Hydrocarbons at Niger’s Ministry of Energy, has joined the upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference and exhibition – taking place in Dakar from December 8-10 – as a speaker.

Oumarou is expected to engage with global investors and public- and private-sector stakeholders from across the MSGBC region and Africa, showcasing emerging opportunities within Niger’s hydrocarbons sector.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.MSGBCOilGasAndPower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

His participation comes as Niger accelerates the expansion of its petroleum industry and strengthens collaboration with international partners. The country has tripled its oil and gas revenues in recent months through increased production, while new production capacity is being unlocked through a strategic partnership with Algerian national oil company Sonatrach. Two exploration wells drilled in partnership with Sonatrach in the Kafra block revealed an estimated 168 million and 100 million barrels of proven and probable reserves.

Independent energy company Savannah Energy also continues to advance development of the Agadem Rift Basin in southeast Niger, targeting five new prospects following five successful discoveries.

In addition, Niger, in partnership with Sonatrach, plans to develop a 30,000 barrel-of-oil-per-day refinery in Dosso, boosting the country’s downstream capabilities.

Coming into this picture, drawing on his experience as a former senior energy official, Oumarou is expected to provide insights into these projects, key investment opportunities and best practices for advancing Niger’s – and the wider MSGBC region’s – hydrocarbons industry.

“Kabirou Zakari Oumarou’s participation is a major highlight for MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026. His expertise in hydrocarbons infrastructure will be instrumental in guiding new investment flows into West Africa’s burgeoning industry,” said Sandra Jeque, Events and Project Director at Energy Capital & Power.

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

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Human Settlements team dispatched to assist distressed KZN families

Source: Government of South Africa

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has dispatched a team from the national department responsible for emergency housing to work with KwaZulu-Natal officials to assist households affected by recent heavy rains at Umshwathi Local Municipality.

According to the preliminary assessment, about 400 people, including close to 200 children and 163 females, have been affected.

“The team is currently conducting a full assessment, which will determine the required intervention. There are four categories of emergency housing interventions provided by the department, namely, restoration, relocation, rebuilding and repairs.

“Should there be a need for the relocation of the affected households, the municipality will have to identify a piece of land that will be suitable for human settlement,” Simelane said in statement.

The Minister and the department has also conveyed condolences to the family of the deceased, who was swept away during the heavy rains.

The body of a woman  whose body was recovered from Injasuthi River in New Hanover under uMshwathi Municipality on Monday. The body was one of the three victims that were swept away.

“These are difficult times for our sector. We appeal to our communities to be vigilant, exercise caution and refrain from building structures on flood lines or areas prone to floods,” Simelane said.

KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi, visited flood-affected areas in uMshwathi today on Tuesday to assess damage and provide relief to the affected families.

Buthelezi called on the municipalities across the province to enforce bylaws preventing people to build houses without permission. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Global power shifts are playing out in the Red Sea region: why this is where the rules are changing

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Federico Donelli, Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Trieste

The competition for global influence and control is shifting. One of the places where this dynamic is playing out is the Red Sea region, which encompasses Egypt, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Here, international rivalries, regional ambitions and local politics collide. Federico Donelli, who has studied these political dynamics and recently published Power Competition in the Red Sea, explains what’s driving the region’s geopolitical significance.

What defines the Red Sea as a region?

The region stretches from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, covering approximately 438,000km². The Red Sea borders some of the world’s most volatile regions: the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the western shore of the Indo-Pacific area.

The Red Sea region

The Red Sea is rapidly becoming a highly contested zone, where traditional and emerging global powers are vying for influence and control. The decline of western geopolitical centrality, the rise of alternative powers and the increasing assertiveness of regional actors converge in the Red Sea.

This has created a complex and dynamic arena in which to test future global power hierarchies. The Red Sea region is challenging the liberal international order that emerged at the end of the cold war in 1989. That order is based on:

  • multilateralism – cooperation among multiple states

  • a free market – limited state intervention in the economy

  • liberal democracy – political pluralism and individual rights.

These tenets have been eroded by a combination of internal weaknesses and external challenges over the past 20 years.

While competition for global power between the United States and China tends to dominate the headlines, the true laboratories of the post-liberal world order are found in regions where international, regional and local dynamics collide.

The broader Red Sea region is one of them. Others are the Arctic, the South Indo-Pacific and the Balkans.

Why is the Red Sea region a stage for global power competition?

The region lacks a clear dominant power that is capable of imposing order. This makes it an open arena of competition among states with overlapping interests.

The Red Sea has great strategic value. It connects the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific, and is a maritime route for global trade and energy. It also borders several fragile states like Sudan, Eritrea and Yemen.

This combination – on the one hand, limited or contested authority that leaves the area exposed to external penetration, and on the other, its significant strategic value – has turned the region into a magnet for external involvement.

The United States and China both have military facilities in Djibouti. Russia has sought access to Port Sudan. Gulf powers, notably Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have expanded their presence across the Horn of Africa. They’ve done this by investing in ports, infrastructure and military cooperation especially in Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Turkey, Iran and Israel have also established political, economic and security ties. This links the Red Sea to the eastern Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.

However, external powers are not the only drivers of change in the region.

Local actors, from Ethiopia to Sudan, Eritrea, Egypt and Somalia, are exploiting global rivalries to advance their strategic objectives. They are courting competing external powers by trading military access for security guarantees, or seeking investment in strategic infrastructure. They are also using diplomatic alignment with the US, China, Gulf states or Turkey to strengthen domestic and regional positions.

These actions create a complex web of overlapping interests. These blur the line between regional and global politics. Governments and non-state actors now have multiple external patrons to choose from. They can play one power against another.

This “multi-alignment” gives regional players leverage. It also increases volatility and uncertainty. For example, rival factions in the ongoing Sudanese civil war have sought support from external players, ranging from Saudi Arabia to the UAE. This has transformed an internal conflict into a proxy battlefield.

In Somalia, local and clan authorities negotiate security and economic deals directly with foreign powers like Turkey and Gulf states, often bypassing weak local institutions.

Meanwhile, landlocked Ethiopia’s search for sea access has drawn it into new diplomatic and security entanglements with Somaliland, Somalia, Eritrea, Egypt and Gulf countries.

These examples reveal how the Red Sea arena has become a microcosm of the post-liberal order: fragmented, transactional and deeply interconnected.

What are the main outcomes and lessons from this alignment?

The Red Sea region reflects the broader transformation of global politics.

Rather than producing a new balance, the decline of western influence has created a decentralised and competitive system.

In this environment, regional areas serve as testing grounds for new patterns of interaction between global and local powers, state and non-state actors, and formal alliances and informal partnerships.

While western-centric “universal” rules and institutions defined the liberal international order, the post-liberal order is characterised by selective engagement, bilateral bargains and flexible alignments.

The result is a world where order emerges from competition rather than consensus.

Competition among great powers now occurs less through international institutions and more through regional arenas. Military presence, infrastructure investment and political alliances now serve as instruments of influence.

What conclusions do you draw?

The Red Sea region is a reminder to scholars and policymakers that the future of international politics will not be defined solely in Washington, Beijing, Brussels or Moscow. It will also be defined in places like Port Sudan, Aden and Djibouti, where the new global order is being shaped.

Regions have become true laboratories of international change. They are places where global competition interacts with local conflicts, and new models of governance and influence emerge.

Local actors, state and non-state, are no longer passive recipients of external interference. They are active participants in shaping their own security environments.

– Global power shifts are playing out in the Red Sea region: why this is where the rules are changing
– https://theconversation.com/global-power-shifts-are-playing-out-in-the-red-sea-region-why-this-is-where-the-rules-are-changing-268895

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Thousands of criminals reoffend in South Africa – better data would show where the justice system is failing

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Marelize Isabel Schoeman, Professor, University of South Africa

In a recent statement, South Africa’s minister of correctional services said more than 18,000 parolees had reoffended in the past three years. They included 209 committing murder and 330 rape during 2024-25. This is one of the country’s most pressing justice problems, yet it remains poorly understood. It’s called recidivism: a situation where an individual who has already served a sentence commits another crime and is arrested, convicted or sentenced again.

Academic and media reports suggest that many released prisoners commit another crime and are sentenced. However, South Africa lacks a standard definition for recidivism or a consistent way to measure it. This means that no one knows the true rate. Researcher Marelize Schoeman explains why tracking recidivism matters.

Why is the definition of recidivism so important?

Recidivism is not simply reoffending. The word comes from Latin. It means “to fall back”. It describes when an individual who has already served a sentence commits another crime and is arrested, convicted or sentenced again.

A high recidivism rate, therefore, reflects not only reoffending, but the criminal justice system’s failure to rehabilitate offenders and prevent further crime.

According to academic research, South Africa’s recidivism rate ranges from 55% to 95%. Media reports claim it to be as high as 80% to 97%.

These figures, however, can only be regarded as estimates. South Africa lacks a standard definition of recidivism. This has led to researchers and criminal justice institutions – including the Department of Correctional Services, the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority – using different definitions and measurement methods. This produces inconsistent data and inaccurate recidivism statistics.

The lack of a shared definition and common understanding has resulted in recidivism being used as a buzzword. This is done to create public sensation, score political points or claim programme success without any credible or generalisable evidence.

As a result, policymakers and service providers in the criminal justice sector don’t know whether:

  • policing, sentencing and rehabilitation programmes are effective

  • correctional centres are overcrowded due to repeat offenders

  • parole and reintegration efforts are successful.

This absence of reliable information hampers the criminal justice system’s ability to deliver effective prevention services, support parolees after release, reduce reoffending and build safer communities.

How can South Africa better define and address the problem?

The first step is to have a uniform definition of recidivism across the criminal justice sector. Then the rate can be measured accurately. Without accurate data, resources can be wasted on crime prevention and rehabilitation programmes that do not work. Effective initiatives will remain unnoticed or underfunded. You can’t manage what you can’t measure.

The second step is to improve record-keeping and create a central digitised databank for sentenced offenders. This databank would hold key information, such as personal details, previous convictions, the nature of each offence, and other risk-related factors that could influence an offender’s rehabilitation prospects.

This information should be accessible to the prisons, police and prosecutors. The courts, parole boards and accredited rehabilitation service providers should also have access.

Currently, there is no central record system. The police service maintains all criminal record information. To obtain a person’s criminal record, a form and the individual’s fingerprints must be submitted. An official then checks the database for any previous convictions, offence details and sentencing information. This largely paper-based system is prone to delays, human error and inaccuracies.

Many offenders use aliases or do not have identity documents.

A uniform identification system, using digitally captured fingerprints or iris scans, would be a more effective way of identifying and keeping records of individuals with a criminal record.

Digitising this process has been planned since 1996, but hasn’t happened. Fragmented systems, weak accountability, outdated infrastructure, governance bottlenecks and late deliveries have delayed it.

What difference will the database make?

Making these improvements would change how South Africa measures, understands and manages recidivism. A uniform definition would replace guesswork and political rhetoric with a clear, evidence-based standard.

Policymakers, researchers and practitioners could use a common language to make comparisons and coordinate strategies.

The focus could shift from viewing recidivism merely as individuals reoffending, to the criminal justice system’s effectiveness in breaking the cycle of crime.

A centralised, digitised offender database would reduce human error and improve data reliability, making it possible to identify and do what works.

Public trust in the criminal justice sector might improve, enhancing rehabilitation outcomes and building safer communities.

What countries have cracked this?

Countries like the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland and Sweden, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore have adopted a uniform definition of recidivism. They use it to measure the performance of their criminal justice systems.

The effectiveness of these steps is clear in Norway and Singapore. The two countries have some of the lowest recidivism rates in the world at 20% and 21%, respectively. The UK’s recidivism rates have declined from 31.6% in 2010 to 26.5% in 2023. In New Zealand, performance data is used to target high-risk groups and strengthen rehabilitation efforts.

These countries use biometric databases in law enforcement and correctional facilities. The databases help to identify offenders, track parolees and manage prisons. Authorities can identify ex-offenders who commit new crimes.

Recidivism statistics are also used as key performance indicators across the criminal justice system. They guide funding and programme development.

In South Africa, a review of the parole board system which began in September 2025 offers the Department of Correctional Services an opportunity to define what recidivism means.

This step could create the basis for developing a central record system for both incarcerated offenders and those under community corrections. The system could later be expanded across the entire criminal justice network.

– Thousands of criminals reoffend in South Africa – better data would show where the justice system is failing
– https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-criminals-reoffend-in-south-africa-better-data-would-show-where-the-justice-system-is-failing-268413

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Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, with Support from Google.org, to Equip 750,000 African Youth, Educators, and Parents with Digital Safety Skills

Source: APO

Junior Achievement (JA) Africa (https://JA-Africa.org/), with support from Google.org through USD $1.5 million funding, will deliver digital literacy and online safety education to children, teachers, and parents across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Through this groundbreaking initiative, JA Africa will implement Google’s Be Internet Awesome (BIA) curriculum, empowering 250,000 children aged 7–15, 6,000 teachers, and 8,000 parents and caregivers with the skills and confidence to explore the digital world safely and responsibly by 2027.

As internet access expands across Sub-Saharan Africa, many children are coming online for the first time without the knowledge or support needed to navigate digital spaces safely. Recent studies show that in Nigeria, more than 70 percent of children aged 6–12 use the internet but lack basic safety awareness. Similar patterns appear in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, where online risks such as cyberbullying, harassment, and exploitation remain widespread.

“As digital connectivity becomes the foundation of modern life in Africa, our children must be equipped not only to participate, but to be protected,” said Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa. “With funding from Google.org, we are helping young people turn access into opportunity, building a generation of smart, safe, and kind digital citizens.”

Developed by Google, Be Internet Awesome teaches the fundamentals of digital safety through interactive lessons and Interland, a gamified online platform that makes learning about privacy, cyberbullying, and media literacy fun and accessible for children.

“At Google.org, we believe that every child should be able to explore the internet with confidence and care,” said Alessia Scarpellini, Senior Program Manager, Child and Youth Safety and Digital Wellbeing, Stronger Communities, Google.org EMEA. “By supporting JA Africa’s proven community-based model, we’re helping educators, caregivers, and young people across the continent build the skills to be safe, confident explorers of the online world.”

The program will be delivered through school-based workshops, teacher trainings, and community outreach, ensuring equitable access even in underserved and rural areas. It also aligns closely with national child-protection and ICT-in-education priorities, including Ghana’s National Child Online Protection Framework, Nigeria’s Child Online Protection Policy and Strategy, and Kenya’s Industry Guidelines for Child Online Protection.

Key Program Targets by 2027

● 250,000 children trained on online safety, cyberbullying, privacy, and digital  citizenship

● 6,000 teachers certified as facilitators to integrate BIA into classrooms

● 8,000 parents and caregivers engaged through workshops and digital learning modules

● Over 750,000 people reached directly and indirectly across four countries

The initiative will be amplified through awareness campaigns, digital storytelling, and flagship events such as Safer Internet Day 2026, ensuring that messages about online safety reach millions more across Africa. JA Africa and Google.org will also collaborate with Ministries of Education, ICT, and Communications to embed the curriculum into school systems and teacher-training frameworks for long-term sustainability.

“This underscores the power of collaboration in safeguarding Africa’s future generation,” Nwogugu added. “When governments, educators, families, and the private sector work together, we can build a safer, more inclusive digital Africa for every child.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa.

Media Contact:
Ellen Ukpi
Director, Marketing & Communications
JA Africa
https://JA-Africa.org/
info@ja-africa.org

About JA Africa:
JA Africa is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the largest global organizations dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. Reaching over one million youth annually across 23 African countries, JA Africa’s programs equip young people with the skills and mindset to succeed in a global economy.

Learn more at https://JA-Africa.org/.

About Google.org:
Google.org applies Google’s innovation, research, and resources to promote progress and expand opportunity for everyone.

Learn more at www.Google.org.

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An important wetland in Ghana is under siege. Researchers investigate the real issues

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Leonard Mensah, PhD Candidate, University of Memphis

Wetlands are vital ecological resources that provide several benefits in urban and peri-urban areas. They slow down flood waters, and act as a source of fishing and farming livelihoods. They also provide socio-cultural benefits for local communities. But some of these valuable ecosystems, due to their presence in prime locations, are at the centre of competing cultural, ecological and economic interests. Property development, especially, is a threat to wetlands.

The 2025 Global Wetland Outlook emphasises that the protection of wetlands is key to sustainable development. However, since 1970, about 411 million hectares of wetlands have been lost. In Africa, degradation is widespread and many are in poor condition.

We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers working in the area of resilience, sustainability and justice in urban transitions.

Our research highlights some of the local-level issues and conflicting interests that are shaping the rapid destruction of the Sakumono Ramsar Site in Tema, Ghana. Under the Ramsar Convention, a Ramsar site is a designated wetland with special natural significance.

We found institutional complicity and the lack of engagement with communities to be key drivers shaping current wetland conditions. Our study proposes a model for enforcing regulations and asserting the community’s right to nature for socio-cultural purposes.

Read more: A root cause of flooding in Accra: developers clogging up the city’s wetlands

Tema: wetlands in an industrial city

Tema was developed from a small fishing community into an industrialised port city by independent Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Its purpose was to facilitate international trade and vibrant economic development. It is one of Ghana’s most important cities and has been experiencing urban expansion and land use changes. This has led to encroachment in environmentally sensitive areas, including the Ramsar site.

The Sakumono wetland was officially designated a Ramsar site in 1992 to protect its rich biodiversity. It covers about 1,400 hectares and is protected by several regulations, including the Wetland Management Regulations Act, 1999.

But the site has, over the years, witnessed rapid depletion and intense encroachment from property development. Approximately 80% of the Sakumono Ramsar Site has been encroached on, leaving only about 20% of the wetland intact.

Population in the wetland’s catchment area had grown from about 114,600 in 1984 to over 500,000 by 2000, indicating that large numbers of people live around and rely on the wetland. Although the exact number of people currently affected by the wetlands encroachment is unknown, the dense surrounding population suggests that many households, especially those engaged in farming and fishing, have likely experienced reduced access and livelihood displacement. Like other wetlands in Ghana, the Sakumomo Ramsar site risks eventual destruction if nothing is done to reverse current trends.

The president of Ghana has called for heavy punishment for individuals who encroach on Ramsar sites. Both community and institutional respondents in our research claimed, however, that it was the political elites who were behind unbridled property development in the first place.

Read more: Flooding incidents in Ghana’s capital are on the rise. Researchers chase the cause

Multiple and conflicting interests in wetlands management

The main objective of our study was to analyse stakeholders’ perspectives on the use, value and management of wetlands. We evaluated the impact of these views on the sustainable management of ecologically sensitive areas. We conducted in-depth interviews with community residents, community leaders and opinion leaders. We also interviewed officials from metropolitan and municipal assemblies. The research was conducted in the Sakumono community, where the Sakumono Ramsar site is located.

Conflicting views on wetlands value: while the value of the site lies in its economic and ecological benefits, community residents were more interested in its economic value. That is, how it provides livelihood opportunities through farming and fishing activities.

Residents wondered why developers were allowed to exploit portions of the wetlands for building purposes, while they were prevented from fishing and farming. One of the residents said:

See rich and influential people buying land in the wetland area and using it for building properties. But we are not permitted to fish there.

For state institutions, protecting the wetland meant restricting access for community members. They encouraged activities such as tree planting and periodic desilting.

Conflicting views on wetlands use: the views of stakeholders also showed the changing understanding of the use of wetlands. An official from the forestry commission revealed that the wetland was acquired by the state during the 1980s for conservation. But other institutional officials, such as those of the lands commission, revealed that it had become a prime area for property development. Powerful developers bypass the land registration process and build without a permit.

The size of the Ramsar site has reduced because people are acquiring the wetland, including the buffer area, for residential development. Even though the wetland area is demarcated as a protected area, many of the politically connected developers go behind us and build without a permit.

Conflicting views on wetlands management: our research revealed contradictions between state institutions and community stakeholders. For instance, traditional authorities were of the view that:

Since the management of the wetland is not under our control, we are not responsible for the current developments taking place in and around the demarcated area.

The traditional authorities said they were not consulted and did not benefit from the wetland. This perhaps explains why they watched on as destruction continued. A member of the traditional council said:

As leaders of the community, we are not consulted about how the wetland is managed. You always hear the forestry commission accusing community leaders that we are selling the land. We can’t sell land that does not belong to us.

Towards a community-based stewardship model

Communities should be at the centre of wetlands management. We propose a stewardship-based co-management model that enforces environmental and conservation regulations. It emphasises working with a range of stakeholders. This includes government agencies, traditional authorities and environmentally conscious community members. We call for an updated wetlands management plan that reflects recent changes, but that is also fair, responsible and protective for present and future generations. This is essential for building sustainable communities in Ghana and beyond.

– An important wetland in Ghana is under siege. Researchers investigate the real issues
– https://theconversation.com/an-important-wetland-in-ghana-is-under-siege-researchers-investigate-the-real-issues-269016

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The Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) Invests in Junior Achievement (JA) Africa to Equip Youth with Project Management Skills for the Future

Source: APO

Junior Achievement (JA) Africa (https://JA-Africa.org) and the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) announce a partnership to equip African youth with over 240,000 project management learning experiences that turn ideas into enterprises and ambitions into action.

The initiative, titled “Elevating Project Management in Youth Ecosystems– Phase II,” will be implemented from 2025 to 2028. The primary objective is empowering young Africans and fostering their personal and professional growth, equipping them with project management and other essential skills, and supporting them to create a lasting impact on their lives and communities. The initiative will impact young Africans from Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

“This grant marks a strategic leap forward in empowering young Africans not just to dream but to execute. Project management is a future-ready skill, and through this partnership with PMIEF, we’re embedding it directly into how young Africans think, plan, lead, and execute,” said Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa.

Notably, the program also focuses on enabling adults, including educators, volunteers, and JA staff, and is set to train 1800 adults over three years. Local PMI members will act as facilitators and mentors, contributing their real-world expertise and experience.

“PMIEF is honored to partner with JA Africa to bring life-changing project management skills to the next generation,” said Ashley Forsyth, Executive Director of PMIEF. “When young people master how to manage projects, they don’t just create businesses, they shape futures.”

As the world prepares to mark International Youth Day, JA Africa and PMIEF are demonstrating what it means to invest in young people, not just with inspiration, but with structure, skill, and the support to succeed.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa.

Media Contact:
Ellen Ukpi 
Director of Marketing & Communications 
JA Africa
ellen.ukpi@ja-africa.org

About JA Africa:
Junior Achievement (JA) Africa is one of the largest and most impactful youth-serving NGOs, working on the economic empowerment of young Africans. We deliver hands-on learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, financial health, STEM, and digital skills to over one million young people annually across 23 countries. We empower young people to tackle real-world problems, launch their businesses, and confidently step into the future of work. JA Africa is an ecosystem leader in youth entrepreneurship education across the continent, bringing together governments, corporations, educators, and communities to transform how young Africans are prepared for the world. By creating scalable, inclusive learning experiences and nurturing a generation of changemakers, we are helping to reshape Africa’s economic narrative.

https://JA-Africa.org

About PMIEF:
For 35 years, PMIEF has helped put youth on the path to success by incorporating project management skills into their daily lives. Our goal is to forge partnerships with nonprofit organizations that support and prepare youth for success by offering project management expertise, resources, and volunteers to aid them in making their dreams a reality.

https://apo-opa.co/49Cyrr7

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Nigeria: African Development Bank Group loans $500 million to support economic governance and energy transition

Source: APO

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org), meeting in Abidjan, approved a $500 million loan to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to finance the second phase of the Economic Governance and Energy Transition Support Programme. The policy-based operation is for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

“The second phase of the programme aims to stimulate inclusive growth by accelerating structural reforms in the energy sector, while supporting progressive reforms of fiscal policy to boost non-oil revenues and expand fiscal space. The new phase will consolidate and build on the achievements of the first phase,” said Abdul Kamara, Director General of the Office of the African Development Bank Group in Nigeria.

The programme will place emphasis on three main areas.

·  First, the programme will deepen fiscal policy reforms by strengthening public financial management systems and enhancing the transparency and efficiency of public spending.

·  Second, it will accelerate the reform of the power engineering sector to reduce energy poverty, expand access to energy, improve sector governance, and attract private investment.

·  Third, it will support implementation of the energy transition plan through measures that promote climate change adaptation and mitigation, including the introduction of energy-efficiency standards for electrical appliances.

The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) will also be updated for the 2026–2030 period.

The programme’s direct beneficiaries are the Federal Ministry of Power, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Office of the Auditor General, the Debt Management Office, the National Climate Change Council of Nigeria (NCCC), the Federal Ministry of the Environment, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and other bodies responsible for social and economic policies.

Benefits will also accrue to private businesses in the form of improved investment climate and opportunities in the energy sector at the level of individual states of the Federation, and from the creation of an environment more conducive to public-private partnerships.

As of 31 October 2025, the active portfolio of the African Development Bank Group in Nigeria comprised 52 projects with a total commitment of $5.1 billion.

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

Media contact:
Alexis Adélé
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is the leading multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa’s development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). The AfDB is present on the ground in 44 African countries, with a field office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.

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Central African Republic Presidential Election 2025: The Africa24 Group offers you exclusive coverage

Source: APO

On 28 December 2025, the Central African Republic (CAR) will elect its president for a new term. This presidential election is a historic step in consolidating peace after years of transition, strengthening institutional stability and, through citizen mobilisation, demonstrating the Central African Republic’s growing leadership as a key actor in regional security, national reconstruction and the responsible exploitation of its natural resources for inclusive development.

The Africa24 Group is rolling out an exceptional bilingual (French-English) editorial operation to enable citizens, decision-makers and national, regional, continental and global public opinion to discover the resilience, cultural riches and deep aspirations of the Central African Republic.

Discover the CAR here: https://apo-opa.co/3XQXhMB

Interviews with leaders, exclusive debates on the major issues at stake in the election, campaign journals and immersive reports.

Through Africa24 and Africa24 English, two full HD channels, discover our exceptional TV & Digital offering with exclusive programming:

  • Interview: Exclusive interviews with candidates from the presidential majority, the opposition and independents, who outline their plans for a reconciled and prosperous Central African Republic.
  • Africa News Room: 52 minutes of debate and analysis with the candidates or their representatives alongside Central African, sub-regional and international experts on the challenges of lasting peace and development.
  • Campaign Journal: With our reporters spread across the 16 districts, follow daily: candidate profiles, the expectations of Central Africans, behind-the-scenes coverage of rallies and campaign caravans, the country’s successes, and a postcard from a district, village or iconic site.

The Africa24 Group 360° coverage and global broadcasting to 120 million households

Watch ‘Central African Republic Presidential Election 2025’ live, on replay and on demand on all your screens at :

  • AFRICA24 in French (channel 249) et AFRICA24 English (channel 254) of the Canal+ Africa bundle
  • On myafrica24 Africa’s first HD streaming platform.
  • On www.Africa24TV.com which offers you a full access to all our programmes.

Africa24 Group, Transforming Africa Together.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AFRICA24 Group.

Contact :
Communication Department
Africa24 Group
Gaëlle Stella Oyono
Email: onana@africa24tv.com
Tél.: +237 691 30 03 40

Social Media: 
@ africa24tv 

About the Africa24 Group:
Launched in 2009, the Africa 24 Group is the continent’s leading TV and digital media publisher, with four full HD channels broadcast in the major cable packages. A leader among decision-makers and senior executives on the continent, Africa24 in French and Africa24 English, the Group is the pioneer and leader in African news channels. Africa24 has strengthened this leadership through sport with Africa24 Sport, Africa’s leading channel dedicated to sports news and competitions, and Africa24 Infinity, the first channel dedicated to creative industries that showcase the creative genius of African youth in art, culture, music, fashion, design and more.…

The leading audiovisual brand on the continent, the AFRICA24 Group has four full HD television channels, each a leader in its segment :

  • AFRICA24 TV : Leading French-language source for African news, published by AMedia
  • AFRICA24 English : Leading African news source exclusively in English.
  • AFRICA24 Infinity : The creative talent channel dedicated to music, art and culture.
  • AFRICA24 Sport : Leading sports and competition news channel.

The AFRICA24 Group publishes myafrica24 (Google store and App Store), the world’s first HD streaming platform in Africa available on all screens (television, tablet, smartphone, computers) … More than 120 million households have access to Africa24 Group channels through major operators such as Canal+, Bouygues, Orange, Bell, etc., and more than 8 million subscribers on various digital platforms and social networks.

www.Africa24TV.com

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4 Tips to Protect Your Payroll and Human Resources (HR) from Cybercrime

Source: APO

A cyberattack on payroll and HR systems can expose personal employee details and financial business information: a treasure trove for criminals and can bring companies to their knees through regulatory fines, reputational damage, and derailing operations.

“Criminals are targeting payroll and HR staff. They may trick or force them with personal info or make them think they’re aiding the CEO. Ransomware attacks can encrypt payroll systems. Treating payroll and HR cybersecurity as optional is like leaving your front door wide open in a dangerous neighbourhood,” says Sandra Crous, Managing Director at Deel Local Payroll, powered by PaySpace.

Securing these high-value business areas and their people reduces your business risks. With interventions ranging from personal training to using modern software, here are four tips to protect your payroll and HR from cybercrime.

1. Understand the risks faced by payroll staff

Payroll staff are high-value targets with access to sensitive information. If criminals steal that information, they can commit theft, fraud, identity theft, and much more.

Criminals target payroll staff in various ways. They can flood them with phishing attacks that steal passwords or provide unauthorised access to systems. They can launch social engineering campaigns that target staff personally. They may even find ways to exhort and coerce staff into doing their bidding. Do not underestimate the ruthlessness of online criminals that target payroll staff and the lengths they will go to.

2. Provide security training for payroll and HR staff

Once you appreciate that payroll and HR staff are the gatekeepers of important information, you can help them with security training. All staff should receive training on security fundamentals, such as good security hygiene practices and how to recognise phishing messages and scams.

Then, add training tailored to payroll staff. Let your payroll and HR staff collaborate with security trainers to build skills that match internal processes and policies. This training is not just rote—it should include psychological resilience and provide supportive, not punitive, reinforcement of solid security instincts.

3. Involve security staff

Digital security teams often have little in common with payroll or HR staff, and there is a natural tendency for them to walk separate paths. But this is a mistake. Security teams help reduce cyber risks for other parts of the business, and it is incredibly effective when security people collaborate with payroll and HR professionals.

There are various points where the two sides can connect. They can jointly discuss payroll and HR responsibilities, especially around data management. They can focus on common goals such as reducing payroll errors and maintaining compliance. They should meet regularly and create a common appreciation for the value each brings to the table. This synergy will help develop stronger security that is pragmatic and productive.

4. Use modern software

Even the best training and collaboration will crumble if the underlying software is outdated and lacks appropriate features. Isolated payroll or HR software are single points of failure that criminals can conveniently breach, encrypt, and corrupt.

Traditional payroll and HR software lack many crucial modern features and will keep falling behind. Cloud-native platforms address security shortcomings. Their account management provides nuanced and low-risk access to administrators, managers, and executives. The platform’s developers automatically apply security upgrades without disrupting operations. Business and security teams have access to detailed logs and audit trails exposing criminal and fraudulent activities. Cloud-native software also enables staff to complete tasks, make approvals, and access reporting securely from anywhere.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Deel Local Payroll, powered by PaySpace.

For media queries please contact:
Victoria Lindsay 
victoria@innocomm.co.za

About Deel Local Payroll:
Deel Local Payroll, powered by PaySpace, revolutionises payroll management. It offers online, multi-country payroll and HR management for businesses from start-ups through to enterprise in over 40 African countries, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Brazil.

Cloud-native, Deel Local Payroll, is scalable, configurable, highly secure, and easy-to-use—delivering anytime, anywhere access. It features payroll automation, self-service features, automatic legislation and feature updates, customised reporting, and more.

Since 2024, Deel Local Payroll has been part of Deel, operating as an independent subsidiary, serving its customers through the PaySpace platform.

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