Africa Matters

UBA Expands Reach: New Saudi Arabia Subsidiary Marks Continued Commitment to Africa’s Growth

By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, a leading Pan-African financial institution, is set to establish its second Gulf Region subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, following its successful expansion into the United Arab Emirates in 2022. The new subsidiary, expected to launch within the next year, underscores UBA’s commitment to connecting Africa with the Middle…

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Africa’s New Toolkit Accelerates Global Race for Renewable Energy

By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian Governments, industries, and key stakeholders now have access to a new, action-oriented toolkit aimed at ensuring the global energy transition is equitable, just, and sustainable. This toolkit comes as demand for minerals critical to renewable energy is expected to nearly triple by 2030, according to a report released on Wednesday by an expert…

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TotalEnergies CEO Criticizes G7 for Blocking Funding of African Gas Projects

By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian G7 nations are slowing down the development of gas projects in Africa, much to the frustration of TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné, who fears this will hinder the global energy transition. Pouyanné has strongly criticized the West’s “exclusion policy,” which cuts off funding for fossil fuel projects in Africa, warning that such restrictions could…

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African Energy: Making it work for everybody

By Luca Vignati Africa is a continent with a growing economy demanding sustainable development for its millions of inhabitants. This is particularly true as it is such a “young continent” in terms of population age. At the same time, the continent is blessed with multiple energy opportunities to fuel this transition phase – from oil to gas to renewables, such…

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Africa Roundtable Positions U.S. as a Critical Energy Ally at African Energy Week (AEW) 2023

A high-level roundtable discussion at the 2023 edition of African Energy Week (AEW) highlighted how the U.S. and African countries can continue to partner across technology, policy and investment. The session began by delving into the U.S.’ relationship with Equatorial Guinea – in which it is the largest single foreign investor  – and emphasized the need to identify bankable…

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Africa sets the foundation for an electric vehicle future

Emobility refers to electric vehicles, ideally powered by renewable energy sources Numerous South Africans facing daily challenges commuting to their workplaces via minibus taxis or cars on crowded highways might have difficulty accepting that an electric mobility revolution is on the horizon. However, several factors are pointing in that direction. Emobility refers to electric vehicles, ideally powered by renewable…

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U.S. plan envisions factories in Africa for surging EV battery demand

Perspective by Joe Davidson With the drive toward electric vehicles in high gear, the Biden administration signed an agreement with two African countries rich in minerals needed to meet the exploding demand. But China is the unmentioned actor in this international affair. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia was…

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Africa Can Become New Global Supply Chain Force – UNCTAD

African economies should seize the opportunity to better integrate into technology-intensive global supply chains and boost prosperity, but this depends on their ability to harness key market and investment trends, the UN’s trade and development body UNCTAD said on Wednesday. In a new report, UNCTAD shows that Africa can become a major exporter of higher value-added goods, creating growth…

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Global Africa Business Initiative aims to accelerate and promote business, trade and investment across Africa

The Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (www.GABI.UNGlobalCompact.org), the leading platform for promoting investment opportunities and business growth across Africa and the world, will bring together Heads of State and Government, CEOs, UN leaders, investors and entrepreneurs in September for a deep dive into energy, trade, and digital transformation. This landmark event comes at a pivotal time in Africa’s economic…

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Spain to invest $2bn in SA energy transition

The Spanish initiative is in line with the aims of the $8.5-billion Just Energy Transition Partnership between South Africa and funding partners including France, Germany, the US, UK and the European Union. Spain is providing 2.1 billion euros ($2.3 billion) to help fund South Africa’s energy transition and water needs, even as some of the world’s richest nations struggle…

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