The AECF

In Nigeria, many women‑owned businesses and small enterprises struggle to access government contracts. In Kano State, Informal businesses, especially those led by women in agriculture and trade, dominate local markets but are often excluded from formal procurement. At the same time, procurement processes can be complicated and not designed with marginalized groups in mind.

To address this, Public Sector Gender Champions, trained by AECF on advocacy and gender mainstreaming, worked with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Persons with Special Needs to present an advocacy paper on inclusive public procurement to the Ministry of Procurement, Monitoring and Evaluation.

The paper calls for reforms that make procurement fairer and more inclusive, ensuring women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups can participate fully. Once adopted, this framework will help build stronger local economies, promote gender equity, and align Kano State with national and global commitments on inclusive development.

Africa's Blue Economy strategies are in place. The focus now must be on implementation.

At the Ocean Conference, The AECF CEO, Victoria Sabula, moderated a dialogue on translating ocean strategies into coherent investment pathways.

The discussion, with governments, investors, DFIs, and the private sector in the room, aimed to explore how we can move from policy ambitions to bankable projects, stronger partnerships, and measurable impact.

At AECF, we are helping bridge this gap by supporting innovative businesses, de-risking investment, and building the pipeline of opportunities that can unlock Africa's blue economy potential.

The opportunity for institutions in this space is to move beyond strategy and accelerate the partnerships, investments, and actions needed to unlock Africa's blue economy potential.

Congratulations to Al Baraka Honey Products Co. Ltd.

Sudan has secured a gold medal at the London International Honey Awards 2026 through Al Baraka, marking the country’s first participation in this global competition and placing its honey industry firmly on the international stage.

Al Baraka is an AECF investee under the Sudan SME Catalyser programme, funded by KfW Development Bank, which supports SMEs in strengthening long-term competitiveness, creating jobs, and improving access to quality products and services in Sudan.

Through their work with smallholder beekeepers in Gadarif State, Al Baraka is strengthening the honey value chain while positioning Sudanese honey as a competitive global product.

This achievement adds to Al Baraka's track record, including recognition at the African Honey Expo in Tunisia, the International Honey Festival in Saudi Arabia, a second-place global ranking at the Waqif International Honey Market Exhibition in Qatar (2023), and first prize at Sudan’s inaugural bees and products exhibition in 2012.

As part of the Investing in Women’s Entrepreneurship for a Greener Economy (IFEV) project in Benin, RENACA-Bénin, a microfinance institution and project beneficiary, held a training session on financial literacy and agroecological practices for women clients receiving credit.

Thirty one women participated in the training, which focused on financial management, sustainable farming, and product processing. Three men also joined to support their spouses, highlighting the role of family support in strengthening women-led businesses.

A team from Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada, the project’s funding partner, also participated in the session and provided technical guidance, with their specialists contributing to the training.

IFEV supports the economic empowerment of rural women and promotes sustainable agriculture in Benin.

AECF held a strategic meeting with Cynthia Eyakuze, Co-Vice President at Equality Fund, and Andia Laura Chakava, Investment Director at Graça Machel Trust, to discuss shared priorities and potential areas of collaboration.

The discussion focused on sustainable financing approaches, support for women-led enterprises and organizations, and opportunities for partnership across investment, grant-making, and enterprise support. AECF also shared insights from its work supporting enterprises and market-led development initiatives across Africa.

The meeting laid the foundation for continued collaboration around inclusive financing and locally led solutions.

AECF, through our flagship energy program, the Tanzania Clean Cooking Project (TCCP), joined members of the Tanzanian Parliamentary Budget Committee and sector stakeholders in discussions aimed at accelerating access to clean cooking nationwide.

Held in partnership with the Tanzania Renewable Energy Association - TAREA, the engagement focused on policy and fiscal measures that can support sector growth and help Tanzania achieve its target of 80% clean cooking access by 2034.

The discussions reflected the growing collaboration among government, private-sector players, and development partners to advance sustainable cooking solutions in Tanzania.