World
African Energy Chamber Hosts Event to Attract European Investments
By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) will host an event which will support European investment opportunities across the African continent and drive economic growth and socioeconomic development.
The programme, Invest in African Energy Reception Event, scheduled for the Waldorf Hilton luxury hotel in London on January 26, will give investors and African energy leaders a platform to support energy initiatives that drive economic growth and human development across the continent.
The event will focus on developing an oil and natural gas market in Africa to serve as the foundation of the continent’s energy industry and transition, facilitating a platform for strong domestic trading and investment while reducing barriers to entry into the sector and thus ushering a wave of opportunities for new players to participate in one of the world’s most burgeoning investment destinations.
Speaking on this, Mr NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC, said African nations must focus on developing a natural gas market to serve as the foundation of the continent’s energy industry.
“Africa will be unable to meet the UN’s sustainable development goals unless we tap into all resources available, which is why we must encourage and facilitate international investment, specifically from Europe, in oil and gas in order to fairly and economically participate in the global energy transition and drive socioeconomic development throughout the continent,” he said.
The event is part of AEC’s agenda to unite governments and credible businesses to spur growth under international standard business practices and position Africa to capitalize on energy investment through strategic partnerships and trade.
With the African continent focusing its efforts on lifting 600 million people who currently lack access to reliable and affordable electricity and 900 million who lack access to affordable clean cooking solutions out of energy poverty, the Invest in African Energy Reception will provide an opportunity for investors to explore various initiatives, which include gas-to-power and renewable energy developments, as well as oil and natural gas exploration and production prospects.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, demand for gas in Europe is expected to rapidly increase in the coming years, thus positioning Africa to take advantage of its immense untapped resources and become a major supplier of oil and natural gas and ensure global energy security while tackling the challenges and opportunities across the continent.
Set to serve as the first of many of the AEC’s Energy Receptions globally, business leaders, investors, and government representatives will unite in London to advance mutually beneficial trade and investment partnerships under the common goal of advancing African governance while improving energy access, human rights, food, and water security, and education on the continent.
Additionally, the reception event comes on the heels of a partnership between the pan-African trade finance institution, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which officially partnered with the continent’s premier energy event, African Energy Week (AEW) in 2022 in a move expected to reawaken a new era of deal-signing, local content and multi-sector expansion.
Under a mandate to make energy poverty history in Africa by 2030, the partnership will see both AEW and Afreximbank uniting the power of investment and value creation, driving stronger energy developments in 2022 and beyond.
The partnership also aims to further attract investment from the UK to facilitate capacity building, the advocacy and financing of African companies, and the development of infrastructure in the continent’s energy sector.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About $32 million has been put into the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) by Germany through KfW Development Bank.
This funding package allows the European nation to become a D2-class shareholder of ATIDI, a status dedicated to Export Credit Agencies and Non-African Public Entities.
Of this amount, $18.4 million is funded from BMZ budget resources, with the remaining $13.6 million coming from KfW’s own resources. As such, it will assume the obligations and benefits related to its new shareholding status, including representation in ATIDI Governance and decision-making structures, and equally participating towards improving German trade and investments in Africa in alignment with the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA 2.0).
KfW’s subscription in ATIDI is the culmination of a dynamic partnership between the two organisations.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW has supported several countries’ membership in ATIDI with over $100 million in financing, thus strengthening the organisation’s capital base and expanding its ability to mitigate risk and mobilise private investment across African markets.
The new equity participation adds a direct shareholding to this long‑standing cooperation.
KfW is the 13th Institutional shareholder in Africa’s premier development insurer, further strengthening the organisation’s capital base and its capacity to support trade and investment across the continent.
At the official signing of the subscription agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, a member of the executive board of KfW, Ms Christiane Laibach, said, “Our membership is executed on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is only the latest culmination of a successful cooperation that has enabled the ATIDI membership of several African states and has created innovative insurance solutions to attract foreign investment on the continent.”
The chief executive of ATIDI, Mr Manuel Moses, said, “This milestone is iconic in many ways. First, it elevates our already dynamic bond with KfW and creates more opportunities for German investors looking to engage in Africa. It is also a recognition of ATIDI’s earned status as Africa’s top development insurer and the acknowledgement of the soundness of our business. Last, it underscores the power of partnerships in a global context increasingly marked by volatility and uncertainty. ATIDI will spare no effort to make this partnership a successful one.”
Established in 1948, KfW is Germany’s state-owned promotional and development bank and a key implementing partner of BMZ in international financial cooperation. Its shareholding in ATIDI is expected to stimulate up to $500 million in trade and investment between German companies and African markets.
Over the past 25 years, ATIDI has grown to become Africa’s premier provider of development insurance and one of its highest-rated financial organisations. It leverages its partnerships with leading multilaterals and regional bodies, including the African Union, the World Bank Group, COMESA, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), to offer innovative credit and investment insurance products that foster sustainable and transformational growth across the continent.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Netherlands’ largest energy provider, Essent, has cut the technology costs of its contact centre infrastructure by half.
The organisation, which serves 2.5 million customers, recorded zero critical incidents post-migration and improved agent workplace satisfaction by 36 per cent.
The migration was delivered in partnership with AI-first customer experience transformation specialists, Sabio Group, and was completed in under 12 weeks for an operation spanning over 1,000 agents across two locations.
Agents were forced to juggle multiple disconnected screens simultaneously — a workflow that was as inefficient as it was stressful.
“Our agents were constantly working with different screens — multiple chat instances open at once, multiple agent desktop instances. It was messy, and in some cases, quite stressful,” SAFe Product Manager for Customer Interaction, Omnichannel and Digital Transformation at Essent, Michiel Kouijzer, stated.
“A lot of colleagues were saying I was mad for even suggesting this approach. It kind of feels like a victory on a personal level that it did work out. You just have to be a little ambitious — and have the right expert partner who can make it work,” Kouijzer added.
With stable cloud infrastructure now firmly in place, Essent is turning its attention to the capabilities that were impossible in its legacy environment: AI-powered call summarisation, agentic customer self-service, and next-generation workforce optimisation.
Rather than a reckless ‘big bang’ cutover that could have affected service to millions of households, Sabio engineered a phased migration strategy — beginning with Essent’s SME segment to validate technical readiness before scaling to the full enterprise operation.
“This project showcases Sabio’s unique position in the contact centre technology landscape. We’re not just moving Essent to the cloud — we’re establishing a foundation for continuous improvement in their customer experience delivery,” the Country Manager for Sabio Group Benelux, Wouter Bakker, commented.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
On April 11, the presentation of the book “Africa: a new market for Russian business” took place, which aroused lively diverse interests among business representatives, entrepreneurs and employees of federal structures of Russia. The event was dedicated to discussing the prospects of Russian companies entering the African market and became a platform for the exchange of views and experiences.
Participating guests, packed in the small hall, included:
– representatives of business circles,
– entrepreneurs interested in new directions of development,
– employees of federal agencies curating foreign economic activity.
The presentation was held in a constructive and friendly atmosphere. The author of the book, Serge Fokas Odunlami, detailed the key ideas and conclusions presented in the publication. Particular attention was paid to the practical aspects of operating in the African market, as well as the analysis of opportunities and risks for Russian companies.
During the lively discussion, participants asked questions, shared their experiences and made suggestions for developing cooperation with African countries. This format allowed not only to get acquainted with the content of the book, but also to discuss topical issues of expanding business relations.
Meaning of the book: The publication, “Africa: a new market for Russian business” offers readers not only analytical, but also practical recommendations on investment and market trends, and how to enter the African market. The book will be a useful tool for those considering Africa as a promising destination for investment and business development.
The presentation of the book became a significant event for the Russian business community interested in expanding cooperation with Africa. Serge Fokas Odunlami introduced the participants to the new edition, which is a comprehensive business guide that gives an impetus for dialogue and implementation of joint entrepreneurial projects and corporate initiatives across Africa.
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