Business leaders and supply chain experts will gather at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, Ghana, July 29-30 for the inaugural Supply Chain Business Forum and Exhibition (https://apo-opa.co/3RGjSJc). Organized by the Center for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA) (CARISCABusinessForum.com), the event aims to enhance supply chain management practices across the continent.

The Business Forum will feature prominent African, European and U.S. entrepreneurs and business executives as keynote speakers, panelists and session leaders. The forum’s theme will be “Navigating the Future of Supply Chains in Africa.”

Keynote speakers include:

Ruby Amegah, a native Ghanaian and executive at Starbucks, USA, who will discuss the journey of coffee and cocoa beans from African soil to global cup.
Dr. Chibuzo Opara, co-founder and CEO of DrugStoc, Nigeria, who will share insights on building patient-centered supply chains for health commodity security and resilience.
Patricia Poku Diaby, CEO of Plot Enterprise (Gh) Ltd, who will offer her perspective on advancing the cocoa sector’s supply chain.

The forum will feature panel discussions about supply chain traceability in the cocoa, coffee, and health sectors, as well as presentations on the Ghana Logistics Managers Index (LMI) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) .

The LMI is a tool CARISCA created in 2022 to support business decision makers. The quarterly index is a predictive indicator of the overall Ghanaian economy. AfCFTA is an agreement signed in 2019 to create an action plan for boosting intra-African trade.

Rounding out the program, Switzerland-based Andre Kreie from the Kühne Foundation will travel to Ghana and lead a session on “Sustaining Supply Chains in Africa: Successes and Challenges.” Kreie heads the foundation’s education unit, which addresses capacity building in middle- and low-income countries related to logistics, supply chain management, leadership and strategy.

“We hope to discover answers to two questions during the Business Forum,” says CARISCA Executive Director Dale Rogers, an internationally renowned Arizona State University professor. “What are the best supply chain practices throughout the African continent? And what support does African business need from leading-edge university research?” 

Besides the presentations, the event will serve as an opportunity for leading companies to showcase their products and services in an exhibition space.

Corporate sponsors and partners are helping to make this event possible, in addition to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds CARISCA. Conship (www.Conshipgh.com/), or Consolidated Shipping Agencies, is the inaugural gold sponsor. Silver sponsors include Interplast, West Africa’s leading producer of plastic pipe systems, and logistics company M&M air sea cargo GmbH based in Germany.

Promotional partners for the event include Business and Financial Times and Ghana’s National AfCFTA Coordination Office.

More than 250 people have already registered to attend this in-person-only event. Registration is free and still open. To register or learn more about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, visit CARISCABusinessForum.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Center for Applied Research&Innovation in Supply Chain-Africa (CARISCA).

Contact:
Evans Ankomah Jnr.
ankomahjnr@carisca.knust.edu.gh
+233 244 692 953

About CARISCA:
The Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA) is a centre of excellence at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. It was created in partnership with Arizona State University and with support from the United States Agency for International Development. CARISCA is a globally recognized, locally owned hub for generating and translating innovative research into positive development outcomes for Ghana and pan-African supply chains.

On a misty morning in rural Cote d’Ivoire, Delphine Papo deviates from her usual routine. Instead of trekking 4 kilometers through the fog to her cocoa plantation, she’s headed to a special class. The Watté United Brothers Cooperative (SCUW) is hosting a demonstration of cocoa tree fertilization, and Delphine is eager to attend.

“I have heard from other farmers that their harvest increased dramatically after joining SCUW’s cooperatives on-farm training. I want to join today to access fertilizer, apply it correctly in my field, increase my yields, and cater better for my children”.

In Cote d’Ivoire, most smallholder farmers acquire fertilizers through informal credit, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions, driven by the hope for increased crop yields. However, improper application of these fertilizers often leads to disappointments, with harvests and incomes falling short of expectations.

Today in Watté, a suburb of the Southwestern port city of San Pedro, Delphine joined six other cocoa growers, including Etienne Bardo, for the mobile good agricultural practices training session dubbed OCP School Lab (http://apo-opa.co/4cBJ0Zw).

Under the shade of cocoa trees, with posters as blackboards and machetes and fertilizers as course materials, the class begins. The learners closely follow the instructors as they demonstrate the appropriate fertilizer doses and application techniques for cocoa trees. They also cover the recommended pruning and hoeing practices. A key point emphasized is fertilizer spreading in a circle, one meter away from the tree trunk.

Delphine and Etienne have been selected to replicate the demonstration. As they perform the steps from memory– sizing, pruning, hoeing, and spreading, Delphine has an epiphany. “Comparing how I applied fertilizer today to my old method is like comparing day and night,” she admits. “I now see what I need to change.”

This transformative experience is made possible by the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism’s (http://apo-opa.co/4bV5ftr) trade guarantee project in Cote d’Ivoire. The $2 million guarantee scheme enables farmers like Delphine and Etienne to receive capacity-building in fertilizer use and good agricultural practices. It also helps them obtain fertilizers on credit from OCP Africa (http://apo-opa.co/3zaCNW4), an international fertilizer distributor. Farmers contribute 20% upfront and pay the remaining 80% after harvest.

The initiative goes beyond just providing access to fertilizers. It equips smallholder farmers with the technical skills and know-how to enhance their yields and income. Etienne looks at his plantation with renewed hope: “My plantation has completely changed since I started applying the fertilizers from SCUW. I know my yields will improve now. I will buy a car, send my children to school, and then build my house.”

The holistic approach, combining fertilizer use with good agricultural practices, aims to improve productivity and empower farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. As an innovative financial solution, the trade credit guarantee seeks to unlock access to quality, affordable fertilizers, fostering a thriving agricultural landscape across Africa.

Please click here (http://apo-opa.co/4bV5ftr) to learn more about the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Please click here (http://apo-opa.co/4bl5ehv) to see more photos from Cote d’Ivoire’s Trade Credit Guarantee Program.

Dabar Media (www.TheDabar.com) proudly announces its launch in Africa, bolstered by a successful $100,000 seed funding round from angel investors. This significant funding milestone enables Dabar to expand its offerings beyond being an online media news platform, enhancing its reach and impact globally.

With this investment, Dabar has successfully extended its presence to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Nigeria, boasting more than 9,300 daily readers within six months of launching. This growth reflects Dabar’s commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content across various domains.

As part of its expansion, Dabar has launched two new initiatives: the Dabar Network and the “ForgeHer Network.” The ForgeHer Network is an empowering initiative designed to support women in the tech industry. It aims to bridge the gap for female founders and professionals by providing educational resources, expert advice, and a supportive community.

“We are excited to launch Dabar in Africa and extend our reach globally,” said Seun Odegbami, Co-founder of Dabar. “The seed funding will allow us to provide valuable training and networking opportunities to our community, fostering growth and innovation.”

Esther John, Co-founder and CEO of Dabar added, “Our goal is to create a dynamic platform that informs and empowers our audience. The ForgeHer Network is a testament to our commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.”

The funds will be strategically used to enhance Dabar’s content offerings, support community initiatives, and provide training and networking opportunities. These efforts will help foster a vibrant, engaged community and drive meaningful impact.

For businesses looking to reach a diverse, engaged audience, partnering with Dabar offers a unique opportunity. To explore advertising and partnership opportunities, please email us at hello@thedabar.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Dabar Media.

About Dabar:
Dabar is a forward-thinking media platform dedicated to providing insightful, engaging content across various topics, including business insights, technology trends, innovation, and more. Dabar aims to inspire and inform its audience through high-quality journalism and community-driven initiatives.

Global investment in upstream oil and gas is set to reach $570 billion in 2024, showing a 7% rise compared to 2023 expenditure. Of this, 33% is expected to be directed towards frontier fields, presenting a strategic opportunity for undeveloped oil and gas markets in Africa. With lack of investment representing one of the biggest challenges to project development across the continent, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) will host a networking reception on July 11 in London – Europe’s financial capital. Taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane from 17:00 to 21:00, the reception bridges the gap between European financiers and African energy projects, promoting synergies, deals and future collaborations.

Despite holding some of the largest untapped oil and gas resources worldwide, Africa is faced with an energy crisis, with 600 million people currently living without access to electricity and 900 million people without access to clean cooking solutions. The African Development Bank estimates that to address this crisis, the continent requires between $40 billion and $70 billion in annual investment. Presently, Africa receives on average $35 billion in global financing for fossil fuels and clean energy projects, with merely 5% of global energy investment directed towards the continent. This showcases a clear investment gap and a strategic opportunity for European funders and project developers.

With over 125 billion barrels of proven crude oil, 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and abundant opportunities in solar, wind and geothermal, Africa continues to attract investment from some of the world’s biggest players. The continent’s greenfield upstream spending, for example, is projected to reach $37 billion by 2025 and $50 billion by 2050, with companies eager to unlock the full potential of undeveloped oil and gas. Specifically, a strong slate of London-based oil and gas firms are driving a wave of project developments across the continent.

These include energy major bp, who is developing Senegal and Mauritania’s inaugural LNG project – the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) facility – and Mozambique’s Coral Sul FLNG project. GTA is on track for first production in 2024 while bp delivered first gas from Coral Sul in 2022, marking the first LNG cargo for the country. Additionally, energy major Shell is making strides towards opening up the Orange Basin in Namibia. The company’s Graff-1 discovery in 2022 was play-opening and Shell has made an additional five discoveries since then. The company is investing 25% of its deepwater exploration budget in the country this year.

Additionally, independent hydrocarbon producer Perenco inaugurated the $50 million Batanga LPG plant in 2023 and is developing the $1 billion Cap Lopez LNG terminal in Gabon. The company is also investing in shallow-water and marginal assets across the continent, acquiring Eni’s core assets in the Republic of the Congo in June 2023 for $300 million. Oil and gas company Tullow Oil anticipated commercial oil production in Kenya in 2028 while transitional energy company Chariot oil and gas recently signed a gas commercialization agreement with Vivo Energy in Morocco. These developments – all led by London-based companies – represent just some of the many underway across the continent. 

The AEC Reception builds on these deals to promote new investment in African energy. Taking place in London – both Europe’s financial capital and its biggest stock market – the reception is all about connecting companies to opportunities. The total value of companies listed on the London Stock Market reached $2.18 trillion in June 2024, highlighting a commercial and strategic opportunity for the reception and African energy projects.

The AEC London Reception takes place ahead of the continent’s largest energy event, the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference, scheduled for November 4-8 in Cape Town. Under a mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030, the event unites global investors and technology providers with African energy projects, with discussions tailored around unlocking high returns and generating mutually beneficial opportunities. Participants at the AEC’s London Reception have the chance to gain exclusive insight into AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 while engaging with a suite of African stakeholders.

This year’s AEW: Invest in African Energy will host the African Energy Finance Summit – a platform that galvanizes financial support for African energy projects, while promoting deal-signing and partnerships. Hosted in partnership with multilateral financial institution the African Export-Import Bank and global market intelligence firm S&P Global Commodity Insights, the summit brings capital to Africa with the aim of making energy poverty history by 2030.

Don’t miss the chance to be at the forefront of Africa’s energy transformation. Register for the AEC’s London Reception at https://apo-opa.co/3KUx0qt or contact register@aecweek.com.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.