Author: Victor Olayiwola

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 23, 2026 The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (www.ICIEC.IsDB.org), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, is pleased to announce that S&P Global Ratings has affirmed its long-term issuer credit and financial strength ratings at ‘AA-’ with a Stable Outlook for the third consecutive year, maintaining ICIEC’s position among the highest-rated peer institutions globally. The reaffirmation reflects ICIEC’s strong credit fundamentals, underpinned by solid financial strength, a low-risk profile, and S&P’s confidence in its robust capital adequacy, sound risk management framework, exceptional liquidity, and sustained…

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 23, 2026 Africa’s development challenge is increasingly shifting from capital raising to productive capital deployment in infrastructure and industry, according to AFC’s State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026 Non-bank domestic capital pools now exceed US$2 trillion, surpassing ~US$1.7 trillion in cumulative external flows to Africa (2014–2024) Official development assistance fell from US$83.8 billion in 2020 to US$73.5 billion in 2023, with further declines expected for 2025–2026 Sovereign issuance dropped from over US$29 billion in 2018 to US$4–6 billion annually in 2022–2023, with only limited recovery through 2024–2025 Domestic pension and insurance assets crossed US$1 trillion for first time Central bank reserves at US$530 billion in 2025, from US$480 billion…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 23, 2026 A recent Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) survey undertaken in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region entitled “Cybersecurity in the workplace: Employee knowledge and behaviour”, showed that 39% of professionals consider cybersecurity rules in their company to be excessive or not fully appropriate. In Kenya, this figure was 25% and in South Africa, 23%. Furthermore, the survey highlighted that 7% of respondents in the META region, 4% in Kenya and 10% in South Africa noted that their organisations do not have cybersecurity rules or that they are not aware of them. These results show a…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 23, 202 As global gold prices continue to reach record levels and demand surging, the upcoming African Mining Week Conference – The Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa – taking place on October 14–16 in Cape Town will connect global investors with investment opportunities across Africa’s burgeoning gold value chain. The event will host the Gold Forum, bringing together private and public sector stakeholders from Africa’s leading gold-producing countries alongside international investors to discuss the future of gold mining, trading and value addition. With reduced reliance on the U.S. dollar and rising central bank purchases…

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 23, 2026 The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) commends the Nigerian Federal Government for its decisive and timely intervention in the Dawes Island marginal field dispute, reinforcing the country’s commitment to protecting indigenous investment and sustaining momentum in oil and gas production growth. Following the recent Federal High Court ruling concerning the Dawes Island field, the Office of the Attorney General has moved swiftly to coordinate a response, directing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to initiate an appeal. The NUPRC has since formally filed an application for leave to appeal, signaling a clear and unified government…

PARIS, France, April 23, 2026 Sierra Leone has strengthened its upstream petroleum ambitions with the signing of a Reconnaissance Permit Agreement with Shell Exploration Company B.V., marking a significant step in its efforts to attract investment and advance offshore basin evaluation. The agreement was signed through the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) at the Invest in African Energy 2026 Forum in Paris on Wednesday. Under the terms of the agreement, Shell is granted rights to undertake advanced geological and geophysical studies across offshore G-Blocks 91, 92, 93, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 133, 134, 135, 148, 149,…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 22, 2026 The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) has reiterated that it will continue boycotting the upcoming Africa Energies Summit – hosted by Frontier Energy Network in London – until meaningful changes are made to the event’s approach to local content and hiring practices. The Chamber’s position reflects mounting concern across the African energy sector that platforms claiming to represent the continent are failing to include African professionals – particularly Black Africans – in leadership and decision-making roles. The AEC has been explicit: this is no longer a matter of engagement or dialogue, but one of…

PARIS, France, April 22, 2026 A new joint venture between PetroGuin and Tender Oil and Gas marks a step forward in unlocking Guinea-Bissau’s offshore potential, reinforcing broader momentum across West Africa’s deepwater frontier. Signed during the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris on Wednesday by Petroguin Director General Alfredo Malú and Tender Oil and Gas Chairman and CEO Teodor Ovidiu Tender, the agreement for Blocks 5C and 6C reflects increasing investor confidence in a basin long constrained by capital intensity and technical barriers. “The discovery in Senegal and Chevron’s recent entry into the deepwater blocks in Guinea-Bissau have begun…

PARIS, France, April 22, 2026 Delays to new gas projects and continued underinvestment in upstream development are raising the prospect that global LNG markets will remain tighter for longer than previously expected, industry leaders said at the opening of the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris on Wednesday. The discussion was shaped by a shared concern: that shifting geopolitics, capital discipline and deferred final investment decisions (FIDs) are converging to slow new supply just as demand continues to evolve. Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Secretary General Dr. Philip Mshelbila said the market had been widely expected to tip into…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 22, 2026 Zambia’s Energy Minister, Makozo Chikote, will take a prominent role at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from 12–16 October, where he is expected to outline the country’s integrated energy strategy to investors, policymakers and development partners. His participation comes at a time when Zambia is accelerating reforms across the entire energy value chain – from electricity generation and renewable deployment to fuel supply security and downstream oil infrastructure – positioning the country as both a regional power hub and an emerging player in refined fuel distribution. A key pillar of…