From left: Shehu Dikko, Chairman of Nigeria's National Sports Commission, and Mitchell Obi, Former President of AIPS Africa and author of this op-ed. Nigeria has approximately 26 stadiums. Four belong to the federal government. The rest are scattered across the states. They were built with public money, for public pride, at enormous cost. And only one of them, the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, meets the FIFA and CAF benchmarks required to host an international football mat

The Transformative African Leadership (TAL) programme has reopened applications for its inaugural 2027 cohort, following strong interest from professionals across Africa. Applications were received from West, East, Central, Southern and North Africa, showing the programme’s broad geographic reach. The 10-month programme begins on 1 February 2027 and will bring together a cohort of 25-30 participants. It combines online learning with two in-person residencies, in Nairobi from

JA (Junior Achievement) Africa (www.JA-Africa.org) and the Z Zurich Foundation will equip 20,000 young people in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Togo with the mindset, skillset, confidence and opportunities to build livelihoods, solve local problems, and build more thriving, peaceful communities. Announced on the International Day of Peace, Génération Équitable, the Francophone Africa phase of the JA Social Equity Program, positions youth economic in

Leaders from Africa’s higher education institutions, the African Union, government ministries, global and regional financial institutions, industry partners and young people gathered this week in Accra, Ghana, for the inaugural Higher Education Transformation Convening hosted by the Mastercard Foundation (http://www.MastercardFdn.org). The Convening also marked the first Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize (https://apo-opa.co/4xEFdET) award ceremony, reco

Kaspersky's (www.Kaspersky.co.za) Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) has uncovered a sophisticated new multi-stage campaign targeting both individual users and organisations. The campaign relies on a previously unknown malware strain distributed through torrent trackers disguised as popular films, including The Odyssey. One of the popular public archives of torrent files was compromised and was then used to deliver the malicious payload. Several hundred victims have be

Former DAMAC Senior Vice President Paulo J. Cruz Appointed Founding CEO of African Collaboration Group (ACG) to Spearhead Sports and Entertainment District Development Across Africa. African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through bankable district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of Paulo J. Cruz as its Founding Chief Executive O

Oando PLC (www.OandoPLC.com), Africa’s leading integrated energy solutions provider, on Thursday, 17 September 2026, successfully held its 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM), where shareholders reviewed the Company’s performance, strategic priorities and outlook. All resolutions presented at the meeting were passed. The AGM was characterised by shareholder engagement, with shareholders commending the Board and Management for its approach to corporate governance, strategic dire

In an interview with BBC World News, African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com) Founder and Executive Chairman Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard set out the case for transforming Africa's sport infrastructure - arguing that the continent's sport economy potential will remain theoretical without the right infrastructure, and that the model needed is not the isolated stadium but the integrated, multi-purpose sport and entertainment district. Africa's population of 1.5 billio

At a time when global trade routes are being redrawn, competition for critical minerals is intensifying, and businesses are reassessing where growth and investment will come from, some of the most influential figures shaping Africa’s economic future will gather in New York next week for Unstoppable Africa 2026, the flagship annual event of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (https://www.GABI.biz/). Speakers include Aliko Dangote, President & CEO of Dangote Group; Ma

Emirates (www.Emirates.com) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) signalling a focused push to grow the airline's footprint in one of the fastest-growing verticals in international travel: medical tourism. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of ATM 2026, reflects Emirates' strategy of going beyond traditional leisure and corporate travel to build structured, long-term relationships with an organisation that sits at the centre o

African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, has announced the appointment of Clare Barrell to its Advisory Board. Barrell serves as Director of International Relations and Member Services at World Rugby, the global governing body of the sport. In this role, she over

While sustainability has become a strategic priority for many organizations, implementation remains a significant challenge across the meetings and events industry. New findings show that although 66% of Associations consider sustainability highly important, fewer than 34% have embedded it into their operations, and only 3% report having an advanced sustainability program. To help close this gap, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) and GDS-Movement have partnered to launch Acceleratin

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates (www.Emirates.com) and flydubai, is giving members more reasons to plan their next getaway, with the chance to earn double Skywards Miles on eligible Emirates and flydubai flights across their global networks. From 15 to 30 September 2026, members must register for the offer (https://apo-opa.co/3Twl99S)and book an eligible Emirates or flydubai flight for travel until 30 November 2026 and then earn 100% bonus S

The Blue Africa Conference & Exhibition (BACE) (www.BlueEconomy.Africa) will return to Lagos from 12-14 August 2027, under the theme “Sea to Scale,” bringing together the businesses, investors, governments, innovators and institutions shaping Africa’s blue economy. BACE 2027 will focus on a simple but urgent proposition: Africa’s blue economy must move beyond potential, policy and conversation—and into investment, ownership, implementation and scale. The announcement follows

Emirates (www.Emirates.com) has closed the summer season ahead of expectations and enters winter with strong booking momentum across a broadening range of markets, as the airline continues to invest in its fleet and industry-leading products, in its global network, and in offering customers greater booking flexibility and comprehensive travel cover. Between July and August, Emirates carried more than 8.6 million passengers, maintaining healthy seat load factors across its net

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Punch (https://apo-opa.co/4xV7KqX), Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper, Former FIFA Secretary General and ACG Advisory Board member Fatma Samoura makes the case that Nigeria has everything it takes to become Africa’s sport and entertainment hub, calls for a fundamental shift away from the standalone stadium model, and argues that the continent’s sporting talent and the economic value it generates must stay on African soil. Samo

African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of Aïcha Diop to its Advisory Board. Diop is a seasoned international executive with more than 18 years of experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America, combining stra

African digital infrastructure convener, Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) (https://ConvergenceAfrica.Hyperscalers) 2026 concluded with a clear action agenda for accelerating Africa’s digital infrastructure development. The conference also honoured twelve pioneers whose work helped shape the continent’s digital economy and recognised 100 women leading innovation across telecommunications, cloud, data centres, policy, finance and technology. Held under the theme “Africa’s

Mahlatsi Molokomme, Principal Investment Officer, Development Bank of Southern Africa. Airnergize Capital, the clean technology investment platform of New GX Capital, has confirmed the final close of Fund I at R3.89-billion, with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) committing R240-million as lead development finance institution. Airnergize Capital invests institutional and development capital into energy, water and gas infrastructure businesses across Southern and

Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited (www.Sunbeth.net), a leading agro-commodities sourcing and trading company, has announced the successful and timely redemption of its ₦25.1-billion Series 1 Commercial Paper (CP) issued under its ₦200-billion Commercial Paper Programme. The redemption, completed on the notes’ maturity date of 4 September 2026, underscores the Company’s financial discipline, liquidity position and commitment to meeting its obligations to investors. Sunbeth, one