Committed to building a transparent and sustainable legal and regulatory landscape in Africa’s energy sector, CLG will join African Energy Week (AEW) – scheduled for November 4-8 in Cape Town – as a Legal Partner. CLG is also a Platinum Sponsor of the event. The pan-African legal and business advisory firm will contribute its expertise to discussions on best practices and innovative approaches to navigating the continent’s energy sector challenges and opportunities.

With a robust presence in key African markets including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Mozambique and a well-established network of local partners, CLG brings years of invaluable experience and expertise to the table.

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.

Last December, CLG successfully advised oil exploration and development company Oranto Petroleum Limited in renewing its oil exploration license in Uganda. The extension covers the Ngassa Deep and Ngassa Shallow exploration areas, allowing Oranto to continue exploration activities on these promising blocks and underscoring CLG’s commitment to supporting clients in developing Africa’s energy resources.

Meanwhile, CLG’s Energy Transition Center provides comprehensive advisory and legal services for international clients entering the African energy market. Services include identifying new business opportunities, analyzing renewable energy market trends and facilitating connections with local stakeholders. CLG also assists in developing market entry strategies, forming partnerships with local entities and governments and securing financial backing.

From helping clients secure project finance to establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, CLG ensures a seamless market entry process. The Group’s advisory services encompass in-depth market analysis, development of market entry strategies, facilitation of partnerships with local entities and governments, and assistance in securing funding from both governmental institutions and private investors.

CLG’s multidisciplinary legal team provides tailored solutions to address various legal aspects of market entry across multiple African jurisdictions, including corporate and commercial law, regulatory compliance, procurement and employment matters. Leveraging its extensive knowledge and experience, CLG empowers clients to navigate the legal intricacies of Africa’s energy sector with confidence.

“CLG’s leadership and expertise in the sector exemplifies its dedication to driving Africa’s energy industry forward. The Chamber welcomes CLG as a Legal Partner at AEW: Invest in African Energy, where the firm will contribute its wide-ranging expertise to enrich discussions on navigating the continent’s legal and regulatory landscape,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Scheduled for 4-8 November in Cape Town, AEW: Invest in African Energy will bring together international investors and project developers to explore opportunities within the African energy sector. With the overarching theme of ‘Energy Growth through an Enabling Environment,’ the event aims to foster investment across the entire African energy value chain, with the ultimate goal of eradicating energy poverty by 2030.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

In the early 2000s, Benin reformed its sheep industry, largely because meat and milk production was insufficient to meet local demand. The objective was to r0educe imports, then estimated at an average of 60,000 tonnes of meat and 40,000 tonnes of milk annually. The African Development Fund, the African Development Bank Group’s (www.AfDB.org) concessional window, positioned itself as a key player in this reform. 

As the chief financial partner of the Milk and Meat Sectors Support Project (https://apo-opa.co/3Y4nk3M), approved in December 2008, the Fund granted funding of $39.24 million for the building of several modern facilities in 18 towns across the country. 

“Most of the planned infrastructure is complete,” notes Émile Godonou, coordinator of the project. “Water reservoirs have been built, as well as livestock farms, thousands of dairies, and small abattoirs in the towns of Calavey and Savè.”  

These facilities were constructed with the help of the decentralised authorities of the Beninese Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, local elected representatives, and direct beneficiaries. 

“This project has resulted in the establishment of three major facilities in our town,” explains Timothée Biaou, Mayor of Savè. “There’s the livestock market, which allows us to buy and sell cattle, as well as sheep and goats, every week. It makes a huge contribution to, and capitalises, on the financial resources of our town’s economy. We also got an abattoir, which will significantly improve the way in which we slaughter animals, adhering to the required hygiene guidelines. Lastly, we’re benefiting from the restoration of the dam, so that livestock can find water and that farmers can easily water their herds.”  

Bio Sarako, the Mayor of Banikoara, is also delighted with the 30 km of roads that have been built throughout his town. “These are well-developed roads built in such a way that dairy products and other agricultural produce can be transported on them,” he says. “We’ve also benefited from the construction of the Alborie livestock market.” 

The project, completed in 2017, recorded satisfactory results between 2012 and 2017: the annual mortality rate fell from 12 percent to 3 percent for cattle, from 15 percent to eight percent for sheep, from 15 percent to 9 percent for goats and from 19 percent to six percent for pigs. 

Furthermore, milk yield increased (from 212 litres of milk per cow per lactation to 316 litres by the end of the project), as did meat productivity, generating additional production of over 79,000 tonnes of meat. In addition, the population needs coverage rate, of animal products by national production, which was previously 35.6 percent (2012), rose to 36.3 percent (2017) for milk, and from 52.3 percent to 69.83 percent for meat. 

The meat and milk sectors therefore figure among the flagship projects in Benin’s “Government Action Programme” (2016-2021), a five-year development framework, due to their contribution to food and nutrition security and to job creation and income generation. 

In 2021, Benin submitted the Milk and Meat Sub-Sector Development and Livestock Enterprise Promotion Support Project (https://apo-opa.co/4gO9HNO) for funding. The aim of the project was to improve the productivity and profitability of the sheep industry in a sustainable and climate-smart way. It will be implemented over a five-year period (2022-2026) with a loan of $15.17 million and a grant of $13.40 million from the African Development Fund. 

The project includes the restoration of 10 water reservoirs to supply water to livestock and the construction of 57 boreholes for drinking troughs and solar-powered submersible pumps, nine of which will be connected to water towers. Other undertakings are planned, including the development of 2,500 hectares of grazing areas, the preparatory work for and demarcation of 500 km of animal corridors, and the construction of three livestock markets and three abattoirs. 

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

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed a landmark Regional Development Objective Agreement (RDOAG) to strengthen social and economic development in the Sahel. The signing ceremony was held at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

The agreement, valued at $600 million, reflects a joint commitment to tackling the critical challenges facing the Sahel region, including security threats, political instability, climate change, and widespread humanitarian needs. Through this parallel co-financing agreement, support will be provided to key sectors over the next five years, including good governance, resilient agriculture, private sector development, water security, sanitation, and health systems.

The Bank was represented by its Director General for West Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office Lamin Barrow, and the Country Manager for Senegal, Mohamed Cherif. USAID was represented by USAID/Senegal Mission Director Alyssa Leggoe and Sahel Regional Program Office Director Juan Gamboa, alongside senior USAID officials.

Speaking at the event, Barrow emphasized the strategic significance of this partnership in addressing the region’s pressing challenges: “This agreement is about unlocking the tremendous potential of the Sahel, building resilience, and fostering a more inclusive and prosperous future for its people. We believe that by working together with strategic partners like USAID, we can help tackle the immediate humanitarian needs of people in the Sahel while also driving long-term, sustainable development.”

Leggoe added, “USAID is proud to partner with the African Development Bank to address the root causes of instability in the Sahel. This agreement will build on the long-standing relationship between the two institutions to provide meaningful and direct opportunities for the people of the region, ensuring they have access to economic growth, governance, and essential services.”

The agreement will complement the Bank’s own pipeline of operations in the Sahel, including projects aimed at enhancing food security, improving access to water, and promoting private sector solutions. These projects will be further strengthened by the additional resources from USAID, maximizing impact. Together, the Bank and USAID will jointly implement high-impact projects, collaborating closely with local communities to ensure meaningful results on the ground.

With this new partnership, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to fostering sustainable development and improving the lives of millions across the Sahel.

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

Contact:
Communication and External Relations Department
email: media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has made a strategic equity investment of $10 million in Dhamana Guarantee Company, a Nairobi-based provider of guarantees to support sustainable growth enterprises. This follows an anchor investment from the UK-Government-backed Private Infrastructure Development Group through its subsidiary, InfraCo Africa.

Dhamana will also receive equity investments from County Pension Fund Financial Services (CPF) (http://apo-opa.co/3TQx7YJ), and technical assistance support from and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) (http://apo-opa.co/3ZLLtNN) and Cardano Development (http://apo-opa.co/4dzaNtM). 

Solomon Quaynor, African Development Bank Vice president for Private Sector, Infrastructure&Industrialisation, attended a ceremony in Nairobi to sign agreements relating to the African Development Bank’s equity investment in Dhamana Guarantee Company.  

Dhamana will support access to financing for key sectors including transport, water, renewable energy, and waste management. It is also committed to catalysing green and sustainable financing into East Africa, providing credit guarantees to stimulate private institutional investment in infrastructure.”

By targeting businesses that improve citizen’s daily lives, Dhamana will enhance access to affordable finance, reduce the capital needed for projects, and advance progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Quaynor said, “The African Development Bank’s equity investment in Dhamana reinforces the catalytic role and potential of credit enhancement companies in leveraging opportunities for infrastructure financing in local currency. We intend to replicate this business model in appropriate markets across Africa with partners such as the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and others.”

He noted that the first example of this type of credit enhancement company was InfraCredit in Nigeria which has demonstrated success. “The investment in Dhamana aligns with the Bank’s priority to mobilise financing through innovative vehicles from African institutional funds including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies for infrastructure development in Africa,” Quaynor said.

InfraCo Africa CEO Gilles Vaes represented PIDG. He said,  “Building on the success of other PIDG-supported credit enhancement facilities in Nigeria and Pakistan, Dhamana will demonstrate the value of such a facility in the East African market, opening up opportunities for investors and clients alike. Crucially, Dhamana will engage new partners and investors in our efforts to urgently address the climate crisis and accelerate delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Dhamana CEO Christopher Olobo said, “With the support of our investors and supporters, the Private Infrastructure Development Group, Cardano Development, FSD Africa, CPF Financial Services, and the African Development Bank, we have worked to develop Dhamana as an important catalyst for long-term sustainable finance in the region. Dhamana’s local currency guarantees will connect pools of untapped capital with East Africa’s real economy, making a tangible difference to people’s lives and offering local investors the opportunity to invest in Paris-aligned initiatives.”

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

Media Contact:
Olufemi Terry,
Communication and External Relations Department, 
media@afdb.org

Technical Contact:
Akin Adigun,
Financial Sector Development Department,
African Development Bank Group, 
a.adigun@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

About Dhamana:
Dhamana Guarantee Company (Dhamana) (http://apo-opa.co/3N4Br33): Dhamana is working to catalyse the development of domestic capital markets in East Africa. It does this by connecting significant under-utilised sources of domestic institutional capital with the real economy, such as new green infrastructure, and providers of credit to businesses. This increases access and the affordability of local capital, providing new low-risk opportunities for local investors. Dhamana will also serve to provide a portfolio of businesses with access to the local currency capital needed to deliver bankable projects, meeting the high demand for new affordable housing, transportation, water, and energy infrastructure, and promoting long term economic development.

About PIDG:
The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) (http://apo-opa.co/4epPGv4) is an innovative infrastructure project developer and investor which mobilises private investment in sustainable and inclusive infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-east Asia. PIDG investments promote socio-economic development within a just transition to net zero emissions, combat poverty and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PIDG delivers its ambition in line with its values of pioneering, partnership, safety, inclusivity and urgency. PIDG offers Technical Assistance for upstream, early-stage activities and concessional capital; its project development arm – which includes InfraCo Africa and InfraCo Asia – invests in early-stage project development and project and corporate equity. PIDG credit solutions include EAIF (the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund), one of the first and more successful blended debt funds in low-income markets; GuarantCo, its guarantee arm that provides credit enhancement and local currency solutions to de-risk projects; and a growing portfolio of local credit enhancement facilities, which unlocks domestic institutional capital for infrastructure financing. Since 2002, PIDG has supported 233 infrastructure projects to financial close, which provided an estimated 228 million people with access to new or improved infrastructure. PIDG is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Global Affairs Canada, Germany, and the IFC.