Latest news with #Abidjan
Zawya
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Zawya
ORUN Studios unveils its immersive narrative universe in Abidjan, on the sidelines of International Exhibition of Audiovisual Content (SICA) 2025
On the occasion of the International Exhibition of Audiovisual Content (SICA), ORUN Studios ( officially launched at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan. Conceived as a Pan-African studio for visual storytelling, animation, and immersive creation, ORUN Studios aims to give Africa back the power to tell its own worlds — through its forms, rhythms, and symbols. This launch is more than just an inauguration: it is a manifesto. A manifesto from a continent choosing to craft its narratives from within, using a contemporary language while honoring its legacies. ORUN thus opens up a new narrative space that is rooted, bold, and intergenerational. For the first time, the public is invited to discover the universe of ORUN, envisioned as a creative empire built around seven symbolic kingdoms, each representing a core priority for Africa: health, education, culture, ecology, craftsmanship, circular economy, and sustainable infrastructure. Through these worlds, ORUN Studios lays the foundation for a contemporary African mythology, designed to reconnect younger generations with their living memory — using a language they understand: 3D animation, comics, and immersive design — to help them build the future. An immersive, sensory, and proudly Pan-African launch The highlight of the event is an immersive installation inside a 6-meter geodesic dome, conceived as an audiovisual portal into the worlds of ORUN. Video mapping, spatialized sound, dance, and visual storytelling are combined to offer a 360° artistic experience. The program also includes: Thematic talks on contemporary African imagination A Pan-African creative challenge around the ORUN universe B2B meetings between studios, creators, investors, and institutions Contributions from artists, thinkers, and influencers from the continent and the diaspora Exclusive immersive sessions for the media On the occasion of its launch at SICA, ORUN Studios had the pleasure of collaborating with Loza Maleombho — a visionary designer committed to the continent's development — who led the artistic direction of the stand. A vision rooted in autonomy and transmission 'ORUN Studios is a house of stories for an Africa that no longer waits to be narrated but speaks out with confidence. Our ambition is to build a bridge between African roots and future technologies. ORUN Studios aims to heal forgetting through image — it speaks to youth in their language, so they can remember, take root, and rise,' says Habyba Thiero, Founder of ORUN Studios. An initiative led by Africa Currency Network (ACN) ORUN is an initiative by the Africa Currency Network (ACN), a strategic group of Pan-African experts committed to the continent's structural transformation and a member of the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC). Driven by the belief that Africa must build its own systems, stories, and talents, ACN designs sustainable solutions in the fields of finance, culture, digital inclusion, and creative education. Its approach is based on three core pillars: Financial inclusion Intergenerational impact Africa's internationalization Through these interconnected pillars, Africa Currency Network envisions a continent that is financially autonomous, culturally vibrant, and globally influential. By combining economic strategies with cultural affirmation, ACN fosters an ecosystem where African talent thrives and takes the lead — recognizing that transformation requires strong social, cultural, and economic frameworks centered on African agency. Location: Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire – Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Dates: June 26–28, 2025 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ORUN Studios. Media contact&RSVP: contact@ +225 05 00 54 68 68 Follow Social Media (@ OrunAfrica on): Instagram TikTok YouTube LinkedIn Official Website:
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Africa needs oil and gas
After a delay forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mauritius Commercial Bank was finally able to open its West African headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. 'We just had to have a presence in Nigeria. We could not rely on hearing essential information and critical devel- opments through the newspapers. We had to have people on the ground,' says CEO Thierry Hebraud enthusiastically. With MCB already having hubs in Nai- robi and Johannesburg, in addition to its home in Port Louis, Hebraud says the new Lagos office is crucial 'as we pre- viously did not have a presence in West Africa. Now we have a presence in Eng- lish-speaking West Africa, we are look- ing to establish another office in Abidjan because we believe we need a presence in Francophone Africa as well.' Nigeria itself is a mouth-watering prospect. 'Nigeria has a population of 200m people and is growing fast. It is one of the most important countries and economies on the African continent,' he says. 'It was clear to us that we needed to be there.' Hebraud explains that MCB's need for a presence and local knowledge in Nigeria is particularly crucial as 'the country represents our biggest exposure outside of Mauritius'. This is largely because MCB is heav- ily involved in financing the oil and gas trade in Nigeria and across the continent. Around eight years ago, it invested re- sources in building up the bank's exper- tise and value offerings in this financially complex sector. Providing letters of credit and guarantees in the purchase and sale of oil and gas, as well associated deriva- tive products is one of its fortes. Many Western banks are shying away from activities related to oil and gas in light of political and consumer pressure to reduce their exposure to fossil fuels. The British bank Barclays, for example, has pledged to stop directly financing new oil and gas projects and to start moving capital towards firms involved in decar- bonisation initiatives. New York-based JPMorgan has already reduced its fossil fuel financing by 42%. Hebraud however is blunt about what he sees as the reality on the ground: 'Af- rica needs oil and gas. Africa accounts for less than 4% of global CO2 emissions – the G7 alone accounts for 25% of emis- sions. 600m Africans still have no access to electricity and another 50m only have irregular access. By 2030, more than 40% of the world's youth will be Africans,' Hebraud explains. 'It is essential that we improve living standards for this growing young population and allow the continent to economically transform.' 'To do that, they will need energy. Of course, there is plenty of potential to develop renewable energy in Africa – and we do it; we are currently financing solar energy solutions for example,' he adds. 'But we should not be naïve about it: oil and gas will continue to be part of the equation for a long time to come.' While many banks are diversifying away from fossil fuels in light of envi- ronmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations, Hebraud says that 'for us the 'S' part of that is fundamental. Fi- nancing the oil and gas trade is essential for economic development in Africa. That is how we see our responsibilities as an African bank.' These considerations played a key role in MCB's decision to open its new of- fice in Lagos. Hebraud says that with the new office up and running, 'We are now developing relationships with interna- tional oil and gas companies, local oil companies in Nigeria, as well as Nigerian banks. Nigeria is a particularly interesting market at the moment because interna- tional oil companies are withdrawing and selling stakes to local companies.' Hebraud argues that as an African bank with decades of experience financ- ing oil and gas trades and armed with local knowledge and a team of experts, MCB is well placed to partner with local oil producers and provide much-needed financial solutions. This includes hedging services to pro- tect local firms from price volatility on commodity markets, as well as lever- aging MCB's investment-grade rating, which allows the bank to access capital at relatively cheap rates, in order to extend competitively priced loans to local firms aiming to expand their operations. Internationalising MCB MCB's focus on Africa's oil and gas mar- ket is part of a broader strategy aiming to tap into the vast reserves of minerals such as lithium and cobalt that are es- sential for rechargeable batteries, and also critical for green technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels. The International Energy Agency (IAE) predicts that greater demand for green technology will in turn see demand for nickel double, demand for cobalt triple, and demand for lithium rise tenfold. 'Metals and minerals are a new sec-tor which we are working on, helping to finance Africa's capacities to extract criti- cal minerals and also to develop higher- value activities such as processing and financing,' Hebraud says. 'As with oil and gas, we are approach- ing this opportunity in a very safe, struc- tured way. With the type of financing we are using, trade commodity financing, we ask our clients to hedge to protect them- selves from fluctuations on commodity markets. But this is undoubtedly a key growth sector for Africa.' This fits in nicely with the banking group's determination to 'internation- alise' its operations. 'MCB is the first bank in Mauritius and we have a 40-50% market share. While we do have a lot of capacity to increase this market share in our own country, such as by bring- ing in new products, we are not going to double the amount of business we do in Mauritius. So, 13 years ago, we started the internationalisation of the bank.' He adds: 'Ten years ago, we start- ed internationalising through oil and gas, and now we are looking at doing so through critical minerals,' he adds. 'Mauritius is an International Finance Corporation (IFC) country and invest- ment-grade rated. Mauritius is also the only African country that has free trade agreements with both India and China – that counts for a lot. 'Given these advantages – and given our work to develop our offerings across trade financing, transactional banking, and private equity – we have managed to design a specific offering and speci- ality,' Hebraud says. 'Our sweet spot is supporting transactions worth between $100m to $150m - those which are too small for global banks to be interested in but are often too large for local banks to manage.' Discussing new trends and technolo- gies, he says 'AI is not necessarily about substituting people for technology, but it is a way for us to free up time for our people to be closer to our clients.' Hebraud is also optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies in Africa. While the extent to which MCB can ex- plore the crypto space is limited by regu- latory obstacles, Hebraud says they have already applied for a crypto brokerage licence in Mauritius and will be paying close attention to developments in the digital assets space. Taking over from departing Western banks With European banks increasingly exit- ing the African market, he is also hopeful that MCB can fill the gaps left even as major American banks, such as JPMorgan, start to enter. 'I'm not sure banks like JPMorgan will be a major competitor for us because we are most interested in ma- jor project financing – we are very cor- porate driven,' he says. 'We have limited appetite for sovereign risk, which is what the big international players like doing.' Mauritius' status as an investment- grade rated country, as well as the rela- tionship MCB has with local banks across Africa, means the bank is ideally posi- tioned to continue adding value to its partners across the continent. Hebraud jokes that 'Mauritius is a country of 1.2m people – a small dis- trict of Lagos or Nairobi. Our clients look at this small country as their younger brother – but their smart younger broth- er.' 'There is plenty of potential to develop renewable energy in Africa – and we fund this. But financing the oil and gas trade is essential for the continent's economic development. That is how we see our responsibilities as a bank.'
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Ivory Coast's Ouattara Delays Decision on Fourth Term Bid
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara surprised delegates as he shelved his decision to accept the party's nomination as the presidential candidate for October elections to a later date. 'Concerning my candidacy for the presidential election, I will give an answer in some few days after a thorough reflection,' Ouattara said at the end of a two-day party congress in Abidjan, the commercial hub on Sunday.
Al Jazeera
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Thithi president!': Supporters rally for banned Ivorian opposition hopeful
Despite a heavy downpour and slippery roads, supporters of presidential candidate Tidjane Thiam poured into Abidjan's streets in the thousands on Saturday to march on the offices of the Ivory Coast electoral commission. Decked in the white and green colours of Thiam's main opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the demonstrators chanted his nickname – 'Thithi president!' – in a show of support for a candidate now officially barred from the vote. Placards reading 'There's no Plan B!' flew high amid protest songs. 'We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjustified removal of President Thiam, as well as other major opposition leaders,' PDCI's executive secretary, Sylvestre Emmou, one of few people allowed through a large police barricade to submit a complaint to the commission, told his soaked compatriots. 'This is unacceptable and dangerous for peace and democracy in our country,' he said. The protests highlight rising tensions in West Africa's second-biggest economy, ahead of the October general elections that many fear could lead to violence in a country with still-fresh memories of the 2011 election-related civil war. At stake is Ivory Coast's continued stability amid a regional security crisis, but a likely fourth-term bid by incumbent President Alassane Ouattara has concerned many voters and political rivals, alongside what critics say is the government's targeted ban on opponents. Ouattara's strongest challenger, Thiam, was struck from a final list of candidates on June 4 after the electoral commission said he was ineligible to run because he'd automatically lost Ivorian citizenship when he took French citizenship in the 1980s. Although Thiam gave up his French nationality to regain his Ivorian one in February, a court ruled in May that he was not technically Ivorian when he enrolled in the electoral register in 2022. Thiam's supporters accuse Ouattara, who has led since 2011, of clearing the way for a fourth term. The last elections in 2020 were boycotted by the opposition, which argued Ouattara had reached his term limits, handing him an easy victory. In the 2015 elections, Ouattara was a clear favourite. Former President Laurent Gbagbo and his old right-hand man Charles Ble Goude have been struck off too for convictions related to the 2011 civil war. Ex-Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who was convicted of fraud, was also removed. Ouattara will suffer illegitimacy if he runs without those four, Sylvain N'Guessan, a politics professor at the University of Bondoukou, told Al Jazeera. 'He will be seen as a candidate who had to exclude all other serious candidates to impose himself. What relationship will such a president have with the other parties, with the voters?' he said. Many Ivorians, particularly young voters, view businessman Thiam as a breath of fresh air and a departure from the divisive establishment politics that have seen power concentrated in the hands of a few. At 62, he is two decades younger than Ouattara and is related to Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the first Ivorian prime minister. Thiam was the first Ivorian student to land a place at Paris's prestigious Ecole Polytechnique in 1982, from where he was launched to top-flight firms like consulting giant McKinsey. In 1994, he returned home to take up a ministerial position that saw him launch several infrastructure projects. A military coup in 1999, however, cut short that career. In 2015, he became the first African head of Swiss bank Credit Suisse but stepped down in 2019 after an espionage scandal: a colleague accused Thiam of spying on him, although a court later cleared him of wrongdoing. In 2022, Thiam returned to the Ivory Coast and the once-ruling PDCI party. Thiam's party promises a return to the economic development that flourished under Houphouet-Boigny, who is credited with the 'Ivorian Miracle' or the rapid development that came after colonial rule. Thiam has also promised to include everyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion. 'He presents as a new leader, a new face who could lead Cote d'Ivoire differently,' N'Guessan said, adding that young Ivorians were tired of faces like Ouattara's and Gbagbo's, who are associated with turbulent politics. Critics say his international career means he's out of touch locally, but Thiam claims he is nonetheless well-loved. In an interview with the BBC in April, he accused the government of specifically targeting him with a colonial-era law he said was rarely used. Thiam pointed to Ivorian-French footballers who hold dual nationalities and play for French clubs and the Ivorian national team. 'I don't think anyone in Cote d'Ivoire believes that this is not a case of the government exploiting the legal system,' he said, referring to his removal based on nationality. 'This government has been in power for 15 years. Does it deserve five more? For me, that's what should be at the centre of the presidential campaign, not my passport,' Thiam said at the time. Al Jazeera reached out to the Ivorian government for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. A day after Thiam's supporters gathered in Abidjan, Ouattara's ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) members also rallied in Yopougon, the most populous suburb of Abidjan. Banners reading 'In Yopougon, our champion is ADO', a reference to the president's nickname, were stretched across a stage where senior party members extolled Ouattara. The gathering set the stage for the party's grand congress on June 21-22, where Ouattara is expected to officially announce his candidacy. 'There is only one road – the road of President Alassane Ouattara,' former prime minister Patrick Achi declared to the gathered crowd. Ouattara, 83, is rumoured to be half-Burkinabe. He was the target of inflammatory identity politics for years, with his rivals questioning his 'Ivoirite' and enforcing laws that disqualified him from running. When he finally won elections in 2011, Gbagbo refused to hand over power, resulting in a civil war that killed some 3,000 people. Ouattara has since amended the Ivorian constitution to allow presidential candidates with at least one Ivorian parent in a 2016 referendum. He has nurtured the country back from the brink into a flourishing economy, evident in the 7 percent average yearly growth recorded in the past decade. Then in 2020, Outtara ran in and won elections. Critics and boycotting opposition said his third-term bid was unconstitutional while Outtara argued his mandate was reset by the new constitution. Violence was reported in some areas. N'Guessan said Ivorians don't have the appetite for the immense suffering of 2011, and warned that reviving identity politics by preventing Thiam from running once again is 'dangerous'. 'We should learn the lessons to address the issue of nationality with a little more perspective,' he said. 'The same words produce the same effects, the same evils.'
Zawya
20-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Côte d'Ivoire Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé Opens 16th African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) General Assembly in Abidjan
Abidjan hosted the opening of the 16th General Assembly of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) ( on June 19, 2025. The ceremony, held under the high patronage of Mr. Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, brought together a plethora of distinguished guests, including ambassadors, directors-general, ministers, academics, media professionals, students, and civil society members from around the world. Under the impactful theme "Developing Media: Strategies for Financial and Technological Resilience, and Innovative Content," this assembly promises crucial discussions for the future of the African media landscape. In his inaugural speech, Prime Minister Mambé highlighted the essential role of media in societal transformation: "Media represents a true opportunity for our country. We are counting on you to preserve and strengthen this asset, through the consultation framework offered to you. It is from this dialogue that the right answers to our questions will emerge." This was a clear call for collaboration and the search for collective solutions. For Cléophas Barore, President of the AUB Executive Council, the funding challenge is omnipresent: "The financing of production and broadcasting remains a daily struggle. These challenges are marked by resource scarcity, fierce competition from new media, information multinationals, and many others." This observation underscores the urgent need for innovation in a constantly evolving media environment. Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, for his part, urged broadcasters to embrace new media to better capture the African audience. "With the AUB, your Union, I urge you to work tirelessly to sustainably retain the African audience, in its diversity, by notably taking into account new communication and broadcasting channels such as social media, streaming, OTT, and podcasts, by innovating and valuing local content, our historical, cultural, tourist, and socio-economic values. I commit you to this!" he affirmed, emphasizing the importance of innovation and the promotion of local content in the face of information globalization. The productive first day also featured a visit to the exhibition stands, offering participants the opportunity to discover the latest innovations in content creation and to forge partnerships. The 16th AUB General Assembly continues on June 20, 2025, with the Union's statutory proceedings and the Awards ceremony. Grégoire NDJAKA Director General Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union of Broadcasting (AUB).
