Brazzaville, May 27, 2026 – The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) took part in the 20th edition of the African Banker Awards, organized at the Kempinski Hotel in Brazzaville, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.
This landmark event celebrates the performance and contributions of African banking institutions that are making a significant contribution to the economic and social development of the continent.
A strategic partnership to foster innovation
Invited to this high-level meeting by its partner, African Guarantee Fund (AGF), within the framework of the operationalization of the invention and innovation financing mechanism (AFINVENT), a concrete dynamic to structure the innovation ecosystem in the member states of OAPI was confirmed.
On this occasion, the Managing Director of AGF, Constant NZI, highlighted an important milestone in this collaboration: the entry of OAPI into the capital of AGF in 2025.
This initiative aims to significantly strengthen support for innovation stakeholders in the OAPI zone and opens up new perspectives for:
•the inventors
•the innovators
•the researchers
•start-ups
• Innovative small and medium-sized enterprises
The objective is to facilitate the maturation of their projects and improve their access to financing from partner banks.
Concrete progress in the implementation of the mechanism
Alongside the ceremony, the OAPI representative, the Director of Patents and Other Creations, Guy Francis BOUSSAFOU, spoke with the AGF teams present.
The discussions focused on:
• the progress of the operationalization of the AFINVENT mechanism;
• the selection of incubators responsible for supporting the maturation of projects, a step now completed;
•the next phases of implementation of the system.
Towards a strengthening of the innovation ecosystem
Through its participation in the African Banker Awards 2026, OAPI reaffirms its commitment to contributing to the development of a strong and inclusive environment, conducive to innovation in its member states.
This approach, supported by structuring partnerships, is part of a global vision aimed at transforming innovative ideas into viable projects, capable of generating economic and social value for the continent.
