AMBESA.com

In case you missed it With over 70% of Africans under 35, young innovators are designing bold solutions for climate change, health, digital inclusion, and industrialization. Last week, the @AU Women Gender & Youth Directorate hosted the African Union Innovation Festival 2025 (InnoFest’25) in Addis Ababa under the theme “Repositioning the African Union for Youth-Centered Innovation Leadership.” The InnoFest’25 brought together policymakers, start-ups, and development partners to celebrate creativity, strengthen collaboration, and spotlight initiatives like the AU Start-up Act Model Law, the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030), and the Continental AI Strategy all building a digitally empowered and innovative Africa. Key Highlight | 18 AU Digital & Innovation Fellows from 10 African countries successfully completed their one-year placements across eleven AU departments and organs co-developing digital tools and systems that enhance efficiency and service delivery across the institution. Their achievements exemplify how Africa’s young talent is powering digital transformation from within, driving innovation, and advancing the AU’s modernization agenda.

A New Era at Afreximbank A new chapter begins with Dr George Elombi as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors - marking a decisive moment in Afreximbank’s journey. His vision is clear: Africa must produce, process, and trade on its own terms. This new era is about transforming Africa’s trade from exporting raw potential to creating finished prosperity - building industries, deepening integration, and mobilising Global African capital for Africa’s growth. “To change the structure, we must process. We must produce. Unless we produce, we cannot trade.” – Dr George Elombi Afreximbank stands ready to power Africa’s next transformation - bold, self-reliant, and united in purpose. #Afreximbank. #TransformingTrade.

🌍 Calling all innovators in East Africa! The Accelerate X Fuzé challenge is now open — a bold initiative by Yiri (AGL Group) and Digital Africa to support the next generation of Transport and Logistics startups in Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Selected startups will take the stage in Kigali on November 21, where up to 15 teams will pitch their solutions live. At the end of the challenge: 🏆 5 startups will join a 6-month acceleration program with AGL. 💡 Among them, 2 will receive an investment from Fuzé and AGL, plus a year of tailored support from Digital Africa through the AEDIB 2 initiative. If you’re ready to grow your business, connect with industry leaders, and make a real impact on the region’s logistics ecosystem — this is your moment. 🔗 Discover more: https://lnkd.in/dreFuGUs 📝 Apply today: https://lnkd.in/dEjHg6Nw #AGL #YiriAccelerate #DigitalTransformation #ConnectingAfrica #AfricaTransformation

Register Today for #AEW2026 | Join a series of country spotlight session at #AEW2026, now returning October 12-16, 2026, in #CapeTown. Country Spotlights at #AEW offer delegates a front-row view into Africa’s most dynamic energy markets — showcasing national investment opportunities, upcoming licensing rounds, regulatory reforms, infrastructure plans and project pipelines directly from government leaders and national oil, gas and power companies. The Invest in #Nigeria Roundtable, proudly sponsored by Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) at #AEW2025 brought together senior policymakers and industry leaders to outline emerging investment opportunities, and chart a roadmap for stakeholders seeking to align with #Nigeria’s evolving policy and investment landscape. Secure your seat for #AEW2026 and join these sessions that provide strategic insights into national investment opportunities, register for your interests here: https://lnkd.in/eCN46VuN The session moderated by Oliver Onyekweli, CFA, Partner at McKinsey & Company included these panellists: • Arthur ENAME, VP of Business Development, Africa, NOV • Nosa Omorodion, Country Director, SLB • Philip Mshelbila, MD/CEO, NLNG • Ainojie Alex Irune (PhD), Executive Director, Oando Plc and Managing Director, Oando Energy Resources • Roger Tucker, CEO, Meren Energy   • Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director, Mid-Africa, Chevron • Udy Ntia, Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Limited

Don’t Miss Out on #AEW2026, Register Today for your Interests | Financing of energy deals #AEW is the pride of our conference, #AEW2026, now returning again in #CapeTown from October 12 – 16, 2026, is the place to highlight the importance of home-grown expertise and the partnerships with local companies and foreign investors when securing African-originated and foreign capital for marginal and undeveloped fields. #AEW champions African-led financing solutions such as the African Energy Bank and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s sector interventions, helping to shorten time-to-finance and move projects from concept to construction. By aligning investment appetite with bankable project pipelines, #AEW is accelerating the transition from policy to capital deployment, ensuring Africa’s resources translate into infrastructure, jobs and energy security. Speaking during #AEW2025 at the session titled: Local Partnerships: Sourcing International and African Capital for the Acquisition and Development of Marginal and Undeveloped Fields, Sponsored by Oregen Energy Corp., Wade Cherwayko, Founder and Major Shareholder at Oregen Energy Corp attributes their success to the local partner they had. “We raised money through equity facilities doing private placements,” stating that they needed to be strategic in how they structured their formations before evolving. To be part of the movement in the next conference, register for #AEW2026 here: https://lnkd.in/eCN46VuN This session was moderated by NJ Ayuk JD, MBA., the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, and featured these panellists:  •⁠ ⁠Rene Awambeng, Managing Partner, Premier Invest •⁠ ⁠Tim O’Hanlon, Senior Advisor, Panoro Energy •⁠ ⁠Kola Karim, Group MD/CEO, Shoreline Energy Group