Author: The Editorial Staff

The PMI index for Egypt’s non-oil private sector fell in June 2025, dropping to 48.8 from 49.5 in May, according to data released on Sunday, July 6 by S&P Global. It remains below the 50.0 threshold, which separates expansion from contraction, for the fourth consecutive month, signaling a further deterioration in activity. This decline notably...

Bank Al-Maghrib has officially joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), making Morocco the 17th country to join this regional infrastructure aimed at facilitating cross-border payments in Africa. Launched in January 2022 in Accra and developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in partnership with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, PAPSS is...

In an Africa where economic stakes have become grounds for subtle but formidable confrontations, Cameroon is evolving its strategic priorities. From June 30 to July 6, 2025, the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE) organized a high-level training dedicated to augmented economic intelligence. For this session deemed “strategic,” it called upon Dr. Guy Gweth, one of the most renowned experts on the continent in intelligence and economic warfare, to train 50 Intelligence professionals. A discreet but assertive rise in power In influential circles, few doubt today that economic warfare is the most pernicious form of modern conflict: informational influence, asset…

Launched in 2011 at an estimated cost of $4 billion, the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD), located on the Blue Nile, is now completed. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in front of Parliament, that the official inauguration of this massive hydroelectric project will take place next September. A true engineering feat, the dam stands as the largest energy project ever undertaken on the African continent. With an electricity production capacity of 5,000 megawatts, double the current capacity of Ethiopia, the GERD represents a strategic investment for energy self-sufficiency, industrialization, and regional integration. The structure, 1.8…

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (NGSE:GTCO), better known as GTBank, is taking a new strategic step by announcing its intention to raise nearly $100 million through a listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). This move is part of a dynamic to strengthen its international visibility and adjust to the new recapitalization regulation imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Based in Lagos, GTCO is one of the leading banking groups in West Africa, with subsidiaries in banking, insurance, asset management, and fintech. Formerly known only for its banking subsidiary GTBank Nigeria, the institution has…

Beyond the tactical lessons that the war schools from Saint-Cyr to West Point may draw, the lightning conflict of June 2025 between Israel and Iran reveals a strategic reality of a different kind: modern warfare is won – or lost – on the financial front as well. For twelve days, two powers with weakened economies clashed in a logic of costly, if not absurd, mutual destruction. And while Israeli air superiority was never in question, Iran’s ability to strike at the heart of the enemy’s territory shifted the focus of this war towards a new reality: that of a budgetary…

By Mame Diarra Ndiaye Sobel, Executive Director, Agenda Africa The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), opened in Seville on June 30, 2025, was supposed to be a decisive moment: a platform aimed at revitalizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and correcting the asymmetries of a global financial order on its last legs. However, as official interventions and high-level panels unfolded, a sense of unreality settled in: that of a global theater where words are strong, diagnoses repeated… but actions continuously postponed. And this sounds like admissions of incapacity that are part of a cycle of predictable failures.…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on Thursday, July 3, that it will combine the fifth and sixth reviews of the $8 billion support program granted to Egypt last fall. This decision aims to give authorities more time to finalize certain key reforms, particularly those concerning the role of the state in the economy. During a press briefing, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack stated that the two reviews will be merged and examined together in the fall, following “fruitful” discussions between the Fund and the Egyptian government during the IMF mission to Cairo last May. She praised the progress made in…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board of Directors has approved a disbursement of $49.2 million to Mauritania, as part of the fourth review of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF), as well as the third review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The announcement was made by the international financial...

A few months before the presidential election in October 2025, the time has come for Paul Biya, president of Cameroon since 1982, to make a choice. Between internal succession “micmacs” and a probable extension of his term, the nonagenarian finds himself facing his “last cards.” In response to the government demobilization that could result from...

The independent Franco-British oil and gas company Perenco, and Gabon Oil Company (GOC), the national oil and gas company of Gabon, intend to invest 560 billion CFA francs (983 million USD) in the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant in Port-Gentil. The parties have agreed that it will be built at the...

Zenith Bank Plc remains the top Nigerian bank in terms of Tier-1 capital, according to the 2025 ranking by The Banker magazine, published by the Financial Times group. With a capital of 2 billion USD, the bank led by Adaora Umeoji ranks 581st globally. The ranking, based on 2024 financial data, considers Tier 1 capital...

The BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) plans to create a Multilateral Guarantee Fund, supported by the New Development Bank (NDB), in order to mobilize large-scale private investments and reduce financing costs in member countries. This mechanism, modeled after the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank, reflects a strategic...

The Ethiopian government and the World Bank have reached a financing agreement of one billion dollars, combining grant and concessional loan, as part of the second Development Policy Operation (DPO) to support sustainable and inclusive growth. The announcement was made on Friday, July 4th by the Ministry of Finance. This financing aims to support the...

Casablanca, July 3, 2025 – Hajar Benyachou and Pierre Deprez announce the creation of SILA LAW FIRM in Casablanca, an independent legal advisory firm specializing in business law. This new firm aims to become a strategic partner of choice for large national and international groups, investors, executives, SMEs, and startups engaged in growth, digitalization, or structuring dynamics. SILA LAW FIRM was born from the merger of LYS LAW, founded by Hajar Benyachou, a legal expert specializing in corporate law, mergers & acquisitions, and Venture Capital, and DEPREZ ADVISORS, founded by Pierre Deprez, a lawyer at the Paris Bar specializing in…

Rabat, July 4, 2025 – ESSEC Business School confirms the success of the Chair “Business and Industry in Africa” launched on January 8 with the support of its partners Africa Global Logistics, ARISEIIP and the IBL group, by welcoming Vivo Energy, one of the pan-African leaders in energy. This partnership fully aligns with the objectives of this Chair addressing the challenges and opportunities related to industrialization and raw material transformation, and strengthening Africa’s position in the global value chain. The first cohort of students in this Chair, coming from diverse backgrounds, attended specialized courses and seminars on the Rabat campus…

As part of its strategic partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Africa Global Logistics (AGL), a major player in logistics on the continent, is launching its “Moving Africa Forward” campaign on the occasion of the Women’s AFCON taking place in Morocco from July 5 to 26. “Moving Africa Forward” is AGL’s official slogan for the two football competitions being held in Morocco this year: the Women’s AFCON 2024 (postponed to this summer) and AFCON 2025. It embodies AGL’s commitment to supporting African football and more broadly, to contributing to the transformation of the continent. Indeed, AGL believes that…

In the first quarter of 2025, the net banking income (NBI) of NSIA Bank Côte d’Ivoire, a member of the financial group of the same name, increased by 2.5% compared to the same period in 2024, announced the leaders of this banking institution based in Abidjan. This NBI increased from 21.849 billion CFA francs (39.328...

The year 2024 marks a new stage in the strategic transformation of the National Investment Bank (BNI), illustrated by several major advances. In September, the Bank launched a pilot project for energy transition by installing solar systems at three of its sites, laying the foundations for its environmental strategy. This initiative is part of a broader dynamic of sustainable development, culminating in the accreditation of BNI to the Green Climate Fund in July 2025. This prestigious status grants the Bank access to an international fund dedicated to financing ecological projects, strengthening its position as a key player in green finance…

Since its establishment in the DRC, the Kibali gold mine, a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, has crossed the threshold of 6.3 billion dollars in cumulative investments in the country, according to statements made by Marc Bristow, the group’s CEO. The leader, who faced the press on July 2, 2025 in Kinshasa, emphasized that Kibali –...

Kenya Airways (KQ), the Kenyan national airline, has concluded a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, allowing the latter to introduce a third daily frequency between Doha and Nairobi. This agreement will enable the Kenyan national carrier to operate flights between Mombasa and Doha, marketed by Qatar Airways, starting from the upcoming winter season, which will...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a disbursement of $262.3 million to Ethiopia, following the third review of the program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). This funding aims to address the country’s urgent needs for balance of payments and budget financing, according to a statement released on Wednesday, July 2. In its...

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) issued new operating licenses to SanlamAllianz Life Insurance Nigeria Ltd and SanlamAllianz General Insurance Nigeria Ltd on July 3, 2025 in Abuja, endorsing the start of operations for the new entity resulting from the merger between the Nigerian subsidiaries of Sanlam (South Africa) and German Allianz. This dual license marks...

According to official sources at the Cameroonian Ministry of Finance (Minfi), on June 30, 2025, the Cameroonian Public Treasury raised 200 billion XAF (351 million USD) on the public securities market of the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC). The operation consisted of the issuance of assimilable treasury bonds (OTA) with maturities of 3,...

Orascom Investment Holding (OIH) announced on July 1, 2025, the approval of the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Misr Entertainment Investments, including its subsidiaries and all the stakes held by its main shareholder in these subsidiaries. The total amount of the transaction is 502.03 million Egyptian pounds (approximately 10.68 million dollars), based on...

Bloomfield Investment has maintained Fidelis Finance Burkina Faso’s long and short term ratings unchanged, a financial institution specializing in leasing, which it had assigned a year earlier, announced the leaders of this rating agency based in Abidjan. The long-term rating remains A with a stable outlook. This means that Fidelis Finance Burkina Faso presents a...

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to receive significant new financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of its three-year program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The IMF’s Board of Directors has endorsed the program’s first review, which will result in a disbursement of approximately USD 266.7 million,...

The Kenyan economy recorded a 4.9% year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on Thursday, July 3. This figure, slightly below the Central Bank’s forecast of 5%, reflects a slowdown compared to the 5.3% recorded in the same period in...

Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the Tanzanian central bank, has reduced its key rate by 25 basis points, bringing it down from 6.0% to 5.75%, at its monetary policy meeting on Thursday, July 3. This decision comes in a context of moderate inflation, giving the monetary institution room to further ease its policy and stimulate economic...

According to the Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Programming Document 2026-2028, based on the Budgetary Orientation Debate (DOB) that the government is preparing to submit to Parliament, with forecasts of 1.834 trillion CFA francs (3.22 billion USD) in the first quarter of 2025, the government declares to have mobilized budgetary revenues amounting to 1.507 trillion CFA...