Oseyiza Oogbodo Blog

Gulf Capital, one of the largest and most active alternative asset management firms in the Middle East, and AfricInvest, a leading pan-African mid-cap-focused private equity firm, have partnered for the first time to provide a US$51m structured loan and equity investment to iSON Xperiences (formerly iSON BPO Limited) (http://iSONbpo.com), one of the largest outsourcing and customer experience partner/delivery partner operating in 14 countries in Africa and in India.

The Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria recently provided funding of €250,000 to UNICEF to deliver emergency water, sanitation and health (WASH) services in Harare.

Moss Her Smell is the story of Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss), a 90s punk rock superstar who once filled arenas with her grungy all-female trio, Something She.

On the margins of its Africa Day in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the European Investment Bank has signed a new fifteen-year 200 million euro loan agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) aimed at supporting trade-related productive investments, including in renewable energy projects, in Africa.

The Sunhak Peace Prize committee has announced that its 2019 Laureates are Waris Dirie, 53-year-old world class supermodel and anti-FGM activist, and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina, 58-year-old president of the African Development Bank Group.

Saturday November 17th was the sixth annual Ecobank Day, an internal initiative where employees turn their attentions away from servicing customers’ financial needs and towards showing compassion and care for the welfare of their local community.

Two of Africa’s largest mobile operators and mobile money providers, Orange Group (www.Orange.com) and MTN Group (www.MTN.com), have announced a joint venture, Mowali (mobile wallet interoperability), to enable interoperable payments across the continent. 

Representatives of 14 countries in East Africa have agreed that the African Continental Free Trade Area, the AfCFTA, represents a unique opportunity to promote regional integration.

A new book by McKinsey (https://www.McKinsey.com/) confirms that Africa is poised for economic acceleration, akin to the Asian boom.

Protea Hotels (ProteaHotels.com) by Marriott, part of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) (www.Marriott.com), has announced the signing of Protea Hotel by Marriott Accra, Kotoka Airport, the brand’s second hotel in Ghana and the first Protea Hotel by Marriott in the capital city of Accra.