APO International

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) approved loans of almost USD 250 million to Rwanda in Abidjan on 1 December 2023, to improve the population’s access to water and sanitation services. The Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program for Transformation, currently in Phase I, will receive a loan of USD 199.5 million from the Bank, and another of USD 50 million from the Africa Growing […]

Since its inception in 2008, the Canon EMEA Ambassador programme (https://www.Canon-CNA.com) has grown into one of the most influential industry initiatives bringing photographers, videographers, and cinematographers together, to share their knowledge and skill with the wider imaging community. This month, marking the most comprehensive programme update in the past three years, 62 cross-discipline creators will join the ranks. Following a rigorous selection process by a panel of industry experts, this year’s […]

In a major milestone in the treatment of stroke patients, the first comprehensive private sector Emergency Acute Stroke and Rapid Evaluation Center has opened in Imo State, Nigeria. The Center is the result of a cooperation between Regions Stroke and Neuroscience Hospitals, Labrad Diagnostics Center, and Regions Stroke and Epilepsy Foundation. It is equipped with innovative technologies from GE HealthCare (www.GEHealthCare.com) and is designed to help save lives and improve […]

Under the presidency of His Excellency, Prime Minister Amadou BA, and following a successful initial information meeting on November 13, 2023, the Conseil National de l'Entrepreneuriat (CNE) (https://www.CNE-sn.com) is proud to announce its official launch on December 19, 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dakar. This new body offers an open and dynamic platform, as an alternative to traditional employers' organizations, and is committed to strengthening Senegal's economic fabric […]

Despite rising food and fuel costs, weakening currencies, climate change effects, security threats, political instability, rolling power cuts, infrastructure limitations, and several economic and social challenges, Africa will be one of the fastest-growing regions in 2024. That’s one of the key findings in the 2024 edition of the Top 100 Business Opportunities in Africa to Watch (https://apo-opa.co/47PmhYd), an annual selection of the continent’s most lucrative business ideas and investment opportunities […]

By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org). There was an era when Africa and Western pop music were closely linked. Western entertainers spearheaded a number of internationally renowned events to raise awareness about the plight of starving Africans and generate funds for famine relief. In December 1984, the supergroup Band Aid sang about feeding the world, asking “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” Within a year, the group had […]

With COP 28 set to conclude in the coming days, a COP where African countries fiercely defended the role oil and gas plays across the continent, it has become clear that developed nations seem committed to phasing out fossil fuels, advocating for an anti-fossil fuel energy transition that does not take into account the needs of the developing world. If endorsed, this approach would cause detrimental impacts on Africa’s economies, […]

Green and sustainability Sukuk represents a key theme at COP28; Global ESG Sukuk issuance totaled US$8.4 billion in 2022; Growth of total Islamic finance assets by 11% to US$4.5 trillion in 2022; Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia lead Islamic finance development; US$788 billion total global Sukuk outstanding last year; Multiple growth channels to drive Islamic finance industry forward. The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector development arm of […]

The African Development Bank Group’s (www.AfDB.org) Board of Directors has approved a $66 million loan to the government of Tanzania for additional equity in Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB). The financing will enable TADB to strengthen its capital and enhance the structure and effectiveness of financial and non-financial services it offers to entrepreneurs in the agriculture and related value chains. The Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank Phase II project will also […]