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Eritrean nationals residing in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Angola, Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast have commemorated Martyrs Day, 20 June, featuring various programs.

Nationals in the South African cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban commemorated Martyrs Day with candlelight vigils, experience-sharing programs, as well as cultural and artistic presentations depicting the significance of the day.

Mr. Saleh Omar, Eritrea's Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa and Southern African countries, said that, owing to the sacrifices of its martyrs, the Eritrean people have ensured their independence and peace, as well as their identity and national sovereignty.

At the commemorative event in Johannesburg, nationals contributed 42 thousand Rand towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund, while four nationals pledged to assume responsibility for supporting 10 families of martyrs.

At the commemorative events organized by nationals in the Zambian cities of Lusaka and Chingola, Mr. Gebrehiwet Petros, chairman of the Eritrean community, said that martyrs are symbols of the identity and values of the Eritrean people, and called on nationals to live up to the expectations of martyrs and demonstrate commitment by giving priority to the interests of the Eritrean people and country.

Likewise, at the commemorative event organized in Zimbabwe, Mr. Aklilu Gide, chairman of the Eritrean community, called on nationals to strengthen participation in supporting families of martyrs. At the event, 13 nationals pledged to assume responsibility for supporting 15 families of martyrs.

The commemorative event in South Sudan, held on 19 June, featured a candlelight vigil as well as cultural and artistic programs.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Tsegay Mehari, Eritrea's Consul, called on nationals to fulfil the martyrs' trust through strengthening participation in national affairs.

Nationals in the Angolan cities of Luanda, Lubango, Benguela, Huambo, and Cabinda; Conakry, Guinea; Accra, Ghana; as well as Abidjan, Ivory Coast, commemorated Martyrs Day under the theme “Reward for Our Martyrs is Transferring a Strong Country to Future Generations.”

At the event in Angola, Mr. Desale Tekleab, Eritrea's Consul General, called on nationals to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills and strengthen participation in national development programs.

Nationals in various cities of Belgium and Luxembourg also commemorated Martyrs Day with various programs reflecting the significance of the day. They also contributed 3 thousand 790 Euros towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund.

At the commemorative event in Brussels, Mr. Negasi Kasa, Eritrea's Ambassador to the European Union and Benelux countries, delivered a speech focusing on the deep meaning of the day and the heavy sacrifices the Eritrean people paid for independence and safeguarding national sovereignty.

In the same vein, at the commemorative event organized by nationals in Vienna, Austria, participants contributed 2 thousand Euros and pledged to assume responsibility for supporting two families of martyrs.

Nationals in the US city of Atlanta also commemorated Martyrs Day with patriotic zeal and contributed 28 thousand 955 Dollars in support of families of martyrs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

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Nigeria has launched the Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment Program (EMERGE), a new initiative aimed at accelerating early-stage mineral exploration, strengthening geological research and advancing local value addition. The program arrives at a critical time for the country, providing the advanced geoscientific research and structured funding necessary to de-risk the sector and unlock Nigeria's $750 billion worth of untapped mineral deposits.

Under broader efforts to diversify its economy beyond oil, Nigeria has outlined plans to expand mineral exploration and production. The country has identified 44 strategic mineral deposits and is seeking developers with the requisite capital and technological expertise to invest. The government has also sought to increase mining's contribution to GDP to 10% in 2026. However, unlocking these opportunities will require stronger geological data, greater technical capacity and increased investment in early-stage exploration. 

The introduction of the EMERGE initiative aims to address these gaps. The program is centered around three areas of focus: science-backed exploration, critical minerals development and research and development.

The exploration stream targets early-stage geological insights to generate reliable mineral data, the critical minerals stream targets minerals required for the energy transition while the research and development stream integrates science and innovation across the value chain. Driven by the Solid Minerals Development Fund, the program is designed to position Nigeria as a major player in the global minerals value chain.

The program also builds on a rising wave of international partnerships aimed at modernizing Nigeria's exploration infrastructure through digitization and enhanced capacity building. Nigeria and Turkey formalized a partnership agreement in May 2026, aimed at strengthening cooperation in mining technology, exploration and investment.

Nigeria has also entered geological mapping and exploration cooperation agreements with South Sudan and South Africa, aimed at advancing geological and technical expertise while facilitating greater investment flows across the exploration sector.

Recent mineral ambitions are being backed by global finance. In March 2026, Nigeria secured $1.3 billion from the Africa Finance Corporation to fund its mineral exploration programs as well as the construction of an alumina refinery, advancing its national mineral production and domestic beneficiation strategy.

A late 2025 allocation of over $600 million for geoscientific exploration and nationwide mapping highlights Nigeria's commitment to de-risk the sector through access to modern geological data and accelerated exploration activities.

As technical innovation becomes increasingly critical to streamlining operations across Nigeria's mining value chain, this year's African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, scheduled for October 14–16 - will bring together global upstream players, financiers and Nigerian authorities to explore the future of exploration and investment opportunities across the sector. The event will host panel discussions and exclusive networking sessions, highlighting lucrative investment and partnership opportunities within Nigeria's mineral exploration and value-addition space.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.