Author: Amadjiguéne Ndoye

Bauxite producer Axis International has initiated a 29 billion USD arbitration procedure against Guinea. The mining group accuses the government of illegally revoking its mining license, in a context of tightening mining policies in several resource-rich African countries. Emirati Axis has stated that it has taken its case to the International Centre for Settlement of...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised 15,300 billion Naira ($10.5 billion) on the Treasury bills (NTB) market in 2025 to contribute to the financing of the federal government’s budget deficit, according to data from the institution. This amount represents an increase of 14.8% compared to the 13,300 billion Naira ($9.2 billion) collected in 2024....

Ghana and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced on Thursday, December 25th that they have settled their dispute over a $750 million loan taken out in 2022, ending a dispute that was part of the country’s debt restructuring. The joint statement did not specify the terms of the agreement, only stating that the issues have...

The Arab Tunisian Bank (ATB) has successfully completed its capital increase, carried out through the issuance of investment certificates reserved for Arab Bank, in accordance with the decision of the extraordinary general assembly of November 28, 2025. This operation raises the ATB’s share capital from 128 million Tunisian dinars (43.7 million USD) to 150 million...

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) unveiled a new real-time digital payment system on Tuesday, December 16, aimed at modernizing the country’s financial sector and reducing reliance on cash. Dubbed “Inclusive Instant Payment System” (IIPS), the platform connects for the first time the two main Mobile Money operators in the country, Lone Star Cell MTN...

The South African Treasury raised 11.795 billion rand (695 million USD) in its first bond issuance dedicated to financing infrastructure and development, with bids exceeding 26 billion rand (1.53 billion USD), representing a subscription rate of 2.2 times. The proceeds from the issuance will be used exclusively to finance projects under the Budget Facility for...

Bank of America Global Research stated in a note published on Thursday, December 4th, that the restructuring of Senegal’s external debt is becoming “increasingly likely” as the second semester of 2026 approaches. The document also highlights that ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new financing program do not guarantee the country’s...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced on Wednesday, November 24, that 16 banks have already met the new capital requirements set for their various licenses, about four months before the deadline of March 31, 2026. According to CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, 27 other institutions have raised funds through various means as part of one...

Bank of Africa (BOA) recorded a Group Net Profit (GNP) of 3 billion dirhams (300 million USD) as of September 30, 2025, up 12% year-on-year, while consolidated net profit increased by 26% to 2 billion dirhams (200 million USD). In the first half, GNP had already increased by 16% to 2.3 billion dirhams (230 million...

American activist fund Elliott Investment Management has acquired a significant stake in Barrick Mining Corporation, according to sources cited on November 18, 2025 by the Financial Times and Reuters. The operation is estimated to be worth at least 700 million USD, placing Elliott among the top ten largest shareholders of the Canadian gold giant. For...

The Helicopter Company (THC), owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, has acquired 76% of the capital of Heliconia, an aviation services operator in Africa. The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed. Founded in Morocco, Heliconia has a strong presence in North and West Africa, especially in offshore services. The...

CI Capital PE for Fund Management and Investment (CIPE), a subsidiary of CI Capital Holding (CICH.CA), has appointed Karim Badr as CEO. This appointment is part of the group’s strategy to develop its activities in non-traditional asset classes, particularly private equity and closed-end fund management. In a statement released on Wednesday, November 19, Hesham Gohar,...

Zenith Bank Plc, a Nigerian bank, has confirmed that it has initiated a regulatory process as part of its strategic goal of expanding into East Africa. In a statement dated November 18, 2025, addressed to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and signed by the company secretary, Michael Osilama Otu, the bank specified that it is...

Cameroon strengthened its financial mobilization mechanism in August 2025 by activating a portion of its sovereign guarantee facility of 200 billion CFA francs (353 million USD), according to the public debt report as of the end of September 2025. This intervention allowed three private companies to obtain a total of 26.9 billion CFA francs (47.4...

The Egyptian financial sector is undergoing a profound transformation linked to the reforms implemented by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) towards digital transformation. According to Mohamed Amer, interim deputy governor for banking operations and payment systems, the individual financial inclusion rate reached 76.3% in June 2025, up from 27.4% in 2016, representing an increase...

The international digital banking platform, Revolut, has officially submitted a full banking license application in South Africa, marking its first entry into the continent as a full-fledged bank. The application was filed with the Prudential Authority, the local regulator, confirming the intention to offer a full range of financial services, beyond its limited products to...

The national airline Air Senegal has signed a firm order for nine Boeing 737-8 (737 MAX) at the Dubai Air Show 2025, in the presence of the Minister of Transport, Yankoba Diémé. This information was reported on Tuesday, November 18 by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS). This order includes options for six additional aircraft, and...

CRC Credit Bureau Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading credit bureaus, announced on Monday, November 17, the appointment of Patrick Ehidiame Akhidenor as a non-executive director (NED), following approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He joins the board as a representative of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, succeeding Olusegun Alebiosu, who was recently appointed group managing director. With over 30 years of experience in the banking sector, he currently serves as Chief Risk Officer at First Bank, where he is responsible for strengthening risk and credit management frameworks. CRC Credit Bureau plays a central role in promoting responsible credit…

Summit Bank Ltd, a new interest-free bank in Nigeria, officially launched its operations on Thursday, November 6th in Abuja, after being licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in February 2025. The institution, established in July 2024, offers ethical, transparent, and inclusive banking services to individuals, SMEs, and large corporations, both in the local...

“An American currency, an African problem” A symbol of power for some, an instrument of dependence for others, the greenback remains at the heart of global exchanges, and therefore at the core of African economic vulnerabilities. Why, despite calls for “de-dollarization,” does the dollar still hold its throne? What room for maneuver do African economies have in the face of this hegemony? And most importantly, what paths can be taken to build true monetary resilience on the continent? To debate this, we are pleased to welcome Rivo Ratsimandresy, CEO of RDE, and Adama Wade, director of Financial Afrik’s publication. Follow…

Access Holdings Plc generated 101.65 billion nairas ($66 million USD) in revenues from electronic transactions in the first half of 2025, up 37.7% from 73.81 billion nairas ($48 million USD) in S1 2024, consolidating its position as a leader among Nigerian tier 1 banks. Indeed, the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) reports that the top...

SanlamAllianz, a joint venture born from the merger between Sanlam and Allianz in 2023, officially launched its brand in Uganda on Tuesday, October 28 in Kampala. The initiative is part of the group’s strategy to strengthen its presence in high-potential markets in East Africa. The new entity combines Sanlam and Allianz’s life and non-life insurance...

African regional development banks are ready to significantly strengthen their lending capacity to fill national financing gaps, according to S&P Global Ratings. This expansion is made possible by strengthened equity reserves and updated regulatory frameworks, which increase their borrowing margin. In a recent release, the agency highlights the growing role of African supranational lenders in...

Old Mutual will acquire a majority stake in 10X Investments, the South African company specializing in asset management, thus strengthening its presence in the passive investment market. The transaction, concluded with Old Mutual Private Equity (OMPE) and DiGAME Investments, is valued at 2.2 billion rand (USD 120 million) and is expected to be finalized in...

The South African banking group FirstRand has acquired 20.1% of Optasia, a Dubai-based fintech company specializing in artificial intelligence applied to financial services for emerging markets. This investment comes just before Optasia’s listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Optasia, present in 38 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, plans to raise approximately...

The Société Tunisienne de Banque (STB) announced a net banking income (NBI) of 522.7 million Tunisian dinars (TND) (177.3 million USD) at the end of September 2025, an increase of 6.6% compared to the previous year. This performance is mainly due to a 3.15% increase in banking operating income, reaching 1.089 billion TND (370.2 million...

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has obtained $14 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), as part of the first allocation of its new private sector financing window. This support aims to catalyze up to $200 million of private investments in favor of food security in several low-income African countries. In a statement released on Sunday, October 26, the AfDB indicates that the financing includes a $10 million envelope for a risk-sharing mechanism for agricultural inputs, and an additional $4 million for technical assistance. This mechanism will be deployed in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, to…

Nedbank Group has received unconditional approval from the South African Competition Commission for the acquisition of local fintech iKhokha for 1.65 billion rand (93.3 million USD), lifting the main regulatory hurdle to this major operation. Final approval from the Competition Tribunal is expected and should be purely procedural. Announced in August 2025, the acquisition will...

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote plans to raise an additional $5 billion to expand his oil refinery in Lagos. The announcement was made on Saturday in Cairo by the new president of Afreximbank, George Elombi, during his inauguration ceremony. The expansion is expected to double the production capacity of the refinery, the largest single-train processing unit in the world, and could significantly reduce fuel prices in Nigeria and several West African countries. The refinery, capable of processing 650,000 barrels per day, aims to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined products and strengthen regional energy security. Afreximbank, which had already financed the…

Absa Bank Uganda, a subsidiary of the pan-African Absa group, has completed the acquisition of Standard Chartered Uganda’s Wealth and Retail Banking (WRB) portfolio. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. This transaction is part of Standard Chartered’s global strategy to focus its resources on its highly differentiated segments, with its Corporate and Institutional Banking...