THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Political and business leaders from Germany and Africa will converge on Hamburg on 25-26 April for the 10th German-African Energy Forum. The annual event offers a platform for players in the energy sector for interaction and networking.
The Forum features discussions on current topics, projects and opportunities for markets for renewable and conventional energy in Africa. Ministers from nine African countries and two German State Secretaries attended the conference last year.
Afrika-Verein (German-African Business Association), the organisers, has announced that about 400 participants from Africa, Germany and the rest of the world will take part at the 2-day event this year. Like in the past years, African delegations will have the opportunity to present their countries exclusively in dedicated country sessions.
Expected to be discussed are issues of German-African partnership in efforts to develop energy projects in the continent. Among the themes of the Forum are the falling prices of raw materials on the world market, the question of which energy to focus on – conventional or renewable? new innovations for Africa and if nuclear energy is an option for the continent.
In 2010, almost 600 million Africans or 57 per cent of the population had no access to any form of electricity. To close the huge deficit, governments are investing in the improvement of electricity generation and supply across the continent.
German companies seeking contracts in Africa will have the opportunity to meet the decision makers from the continent on a one-to-one basis at the Forum and possibly make deals.
The Afrika-Verein is the key trade association for German businesses and institutions with an interest in Africa.
Femi Awoniyi
More information at: www.energyafrica.de
[Photo: Some participants at the Forum in 2014; © Afrika-Verein]
