Latest news with #Nigeria-focused
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Partnering with Africa's boldest businesses: TAG steps into the spotlight
TAG, an independent advisory and investment management firm, is making its presence known as a vital ally for Africa's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Creatives. Focused on unlocking scalable growth across the continent, TAG works closely with entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem enablers to help African businesses thrive in complex markets. With deep expertise in financial strategy, investment readiness, and sustainable business development, TAG partners with high-potential SMEs & DFIs (Development Finance Institutions) to strengthen their operations, access capital, and scale confidently across borders. Working behind the scenes with emerging and high-impact ventures like The Plug, Azuwa Studios, Peninsular Manufacturing, Challenge Fund for Youth Employment, Ororo Waste Management, among others, TAG brings practical support to African businesses that are solving real problems and scaling with purpose. From the creative economy to agribusiness, tech, and consumer goods, TAG is committed to advancing a new generation of African-led ventures that are not only investment-worthy but also transformative for local economies. This commitment is particularly evident in its work with Africa's growing creative sector, a space where talent abounds but structural barriers persist. 'As advisory partners to Africa's SMEs and creatives, we believe creativity and entrepreneurship are powerful economic drivers,' said Fiyin Ogunlesi, Managing Principal at TAG. 'But too many still face barriers to funding, ownership, and sustainability. Our mission is to close those gaps through practical support, from investment readiness to CFO services and global partnerships, helping our clients turn potential into lasting impact. Recently, we launched our Nigeria-focused Afrobeats economy Report to spotlight the opportunities in the music industry and creative ecosystem as a whole. We are partnering with the next regional champions across verticals, making Africa more global and economically viable, one bold venture at a time. Pictured from left to right: Brenda Fashugba, Regional Director, Creative Economy at the British Council; Arese Ugwu, Founder of Azuwa Studios; Natascha Korvinus, Principal at Proparco; Olisa Adibua, Creative Industry Entrepreneur speaking at TAG's launch in April. The firm's approach is hands-on, providing services such as embedded CFOs, financial structuring, policy engagement, and ecosystem mapping to ensure that African businesses are not just surviving but scaling with strategy.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major company set to launch first region-wide off-grid power initiative — here's what it entails
Africa50 is setting up several green funds for $700 million, including the first region-wide initiative for power companies as part of regional governments' efforts to boost electricity access and shield against global warming, Bloomberg reported. The Casablanca, Morocco-based investment platform plans to invest — through the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa fund — $500 million in climate-friendly projects in sectors ranging from renewable energy to transportation, according to Africa50's head Alain Ebobisse, cited in the report. "You can catalyze $10 billion worth of investments," he said, adding that the first close would occur in the first half of the year. In a first for the continent, Africa50 also intends to create a $200 million fund for companies that provide distributed renewable energy, like solar-powered mini-grids and home systems, which will be known as Africa Solar Facility. Meanwhile, a Nigeria-focused fund for distributed renewable energy is in the works, Bloomberg explained. Africa50, which runs Africa50-Project Development, Africa50-Project Finance, and the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, hopes to tap the $2.3 trillion held by African institutions, Ebobisse said. UN data shows that around 600 million Africans, or nearly half the continent's population, still lack reliable access to electricity, which limits the provision of basic services like healthcare and water. "We need to look at multiple sources of power generation. We need to look at in each country that we're focused on, each country that we're investing in: What is its comparative advantage?" Africa50's Chief Operating Officer Tshepidi Moremong said in a video shared on Facebook by Devex in late January. "Is it solar? Is it hydro? Is it gas to power?" A long-term growth opportunity for investors in Africa and beyond, the deployment of off-grid power infrastructure can help bridge the gap in energy access, improve the economic resilience of local communities by creating jobs in the sector, and, on a larger scale, secure the continent's position in the global transition to a low-carbon, environmentally friendly economy. "We invested in off grid in Africa since 2014 and still hanging in there with the skin of our teeth. Waves of support and enthusiasm have come and gone with mostly the same cast of characters and on the whole without real success," engineer and angel investor Tara Lindstedt wrote on LinkedIn. "Truly hope this time it happens." How often do you worry about your energy bills? Every day A few times a week A few times a month Only when I pay it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Per Ebobisse, quoted by Bloomberg, Africa50 is about to complete the financing of Africa's first large-scale public-private partnership on electricity transmission lines and is set to pursue similar projects in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Gabon. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
