Author: Victor Olayiwola

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 23, 2026 Africa’s mining sector maintains its role as a key contributor of employment creation, fuelled by rising global demand for critical minerals. According to the Compendium of Africa’s Strategic Minerals 2026, released last week by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent holds an estimated $29.5 trillion in mineral wealth – about 20% of global reserves – with $8.6 trillion still untapped. The study highlights a clear opportunity for the continent to accelerate industrialization and job creation by focusing on value addition across downstream industries, including aluminium, fertilizers, battery materials and alloys. Expanding Production,…

CAIRO, Egypt, February 22, 2026 CANEX Creations Inc. (CCInc), the intellectual property investment subsidiary backed by Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), announced its investment in the feature film Clarissa, a Nigerian-produced drama directed by twin filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri. The film has been acquired for worldwide distribution by NEON, which will oversee theatrical release in the United States and international markets, with NEON International handling foreign sales. A contemporary reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s novel relocated to Lagos, Clarissa was shot on 35mm in Lagos and Delta State. The film follows society woman Clarissa as she prepares to host…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, February 20, 2026 EBITDA increased by an impressive 184% to AED 458.5 million in 2025, up from AED 161.4 million in 2024 – marking the company’s highest EBITDA performance since ADX listing in 2022 Revenue rose to an all-time high of AED 13.3 billion in 2025 from AED 8.9 billion in 2024 Net profit reached AED 227.6 million in 2025, up 37% year-on-year Commodity transaction volumes increased by 73% year-on-year to 14.2 million metric tonnes Total equity reached AED 1.4 billion in 2025, compared with AED 1.2 billion the previous year The Board recommended a cash…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 20, 2026 Africa’s Green Economy Summit (24–27 February 2026) will present a curated, deal‑ready pipeline of climate projects from more than 25 African countries. Since 2023 our mission has been unchanged: connect global capital with Africa’s ventures. This year’s portfolio spans early‑stage SMMEs and bankable expansion and infrastructure opportunities, together seeking approximately USD 3.09 billion in funding – roughly USD 90 million for SMME-stage pitches and nearly USD 3 billion for expansion and infrastructure. The projects cover energy, waste, e-mobility and circular economy, food and agriculture, blue economy, built environment and nature‑based solutions, offering investors…

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, February 20, 2026 Venezuela’s long-dormant oil and gas sector is rapidly reactivating in early 2026, sharpening the relevance of Caribbean Energy Week (CEW)’s First Mover Advantage in Venezuela’s Frontier session. Recent developments – including a visit by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to assess the country’s oil-sector overhaul, alongside new U.S. licensing measures enabling foreign companies to handle Venezuelan crude – signal a renewed pathway for commercial engagement with the world’s largest proven oil-reserve base. Venezuela holds roughly 300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, a resource endowment larger than any other country, yet decades of sanctions, underinvestment and…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 20, 202 Across Africa, the rapid rollout of solar generation is shifting the challenge from simply adding capacity to integrating power reliably into weak and unstable grids. Diesel dependence, frequency instability and limited transmission infrastructure are driving demand for battery energy storage systems (BESS) not as optional hardware, but as core infrastructure for resilient power systems. In markets from East to West Africa, storage is increasingly deployed not for arbitrage but for reliability, stability and energy access — especially in hybrid microgrids and solar-plus-storage projects that reduce fuel costs and improve service continuity. To meet these needs, developers and utilities…

PARIS, France, February 20, 2026 With governments and operators from across Africa’s gas frontier confirmed to participate, the Invest in African Energy Forum (Paris, April 22–23, 2026) arrives as the continent’s LNG sector enters a new phase of growth. Major export projects are moving into expansion, emerging producers are scaling floating liquefaction capacity and several large undeveloped gas discoveries are advancing toward commercialization. Together, these developments are shaping where capital, partnerships, and infrastructure investment will flow across Africa’s next wave of LNG and gas opportunities. Grand Tortue Ahmeyim Expansion – Mauritania & Senegal With first LNG already achieved, the strategic…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 19, 2026 The U.S. has intensified pressure on the International Energy Agency (IEA) – signaling that it could withdraw from the institution unless it refocuses on its founding mandate of safeguarding global energy security. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Washington is not satisfied with the Paris-based agency’s current direction, arguing that its modelling and outlooks have become overly shaped by climate ideology at the expense of practical energy realities. He was direct in his messaging when he said that the IEA must return to prioritizing energy access and solvable clean cooking solutions. For years,…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 19, 2026/ — As Africa seeks to capitalize on surging global demand for critical minerals to drive GDP growth and industrialization, regional collaboration is emerging as a strategic imperative to unlock the continent’s full resource potential. Holding approximately 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves – including the largest global shares of platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese and chrome – Africa is positioned to play a leading role in global supply chains. However, with intra-African trade accounting for only 16% of total African trade, significant opportunities remain to strengthen cross-border cooperation and build integrated mineral value…

YAOUNDE, Cameroon, February 19, 2026 Nine exploration and production blocks are now avaialble in Cameroon’s latest licensing round. Spanning two proven basins, the tender – managed by the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) – is accepting proposals through March 30, 2026, ahead of a final decision in late April. Launched on August 1, 2025, the round includes three blocks in the Rio del Rey (RDR) basin – Ndian River, Bolongo Exploration and Bakassi – and six in the Douala/Kribi‑Campo (DKC) basin – Etinde Exploration, Bomono, Nkombe‑Nsepe, Tilapia, Ntem and Elombo. Strategically located near existing producing fields, these blocks feature prior drilling,…