• Pensana appoints Karen Brown as COO for Angola rare earths project• Longonjo mine to produce 20,000 tons MREC yearly, starting 2027• Project seeks $160M financing, aims to diversify global rare earth supply Pensana, a British company developing the Longonjo rare earths project in Angola, announced Tuesday, September 9, the appointment of Karen Brown as its new Chief Operating...

• Guinea-Bissau launches first national maternal health guidelines• Aims to cut maternal deaths from 500 to below 70 per 100,000• WHO-backed plan targets better care, staffing, and health access Guinea-Bissau has launched its first national guidelines for maternal health with a focus on improving care before, during, and after childbirth. According to a press release from the World Health...

• Algeria to double vocational scholarships for young Africans• Focus areas include IT, agribusiness, and industrial maintenance• Goal is to boost youth employment and regional skills alignment The Algerian government will double the number of vocational training scholarships it offers to young Africans, the Ministry of Vocational Training and Education announced on Friday, September 5....

• Zambia hosts first Industrial Skills Week Africa, Sept 9–10• Event targets youth training for industrial jobs, innovation• AUDA-NEPAD, AU back initiative to close Africa’s skills gap Lusaka (Zambia) is hosting the first-ever Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA 2025) from Tuesday, September 9, to Wednesday, September 10. The event, held under the theme "Powering Africa's Industrial...

• CAR to seek $12.8B for 543 projects at investor forum• "Ambition 28" targets jobs, infrastructure, and diversification• Backed by World Bank, IMF, AfDB, and other key partners The Central African Republic (CAR) plans to host a roundtable with international investors in Casablanca, Morocco, on September 14-15 to present its "Ambition 28" development plan. The initiative seeks to...

• Algeria’s INATEL to export 2M POS terminals to Nigeria• $300M deal signed at IATF 2025, may double next year• Project supports AfCFTA trade, digital finance expansion in Nigeria Algeria's INATEL, a subsidiary of the National Telecommunications Company (ENTC), has partnered with China's Morefun Electronic Technology to produce and export two million electronic payment terminals to...

• L’Africaine de courtage launches in Gabon amid market downturn• Gabon’s insurance revenue fell 54.6% in Q1 2025• Firm aims to boost broker role, led by industry veterans L’Africaine de courtage, a new insurance brokerage firm, officially launched its operations on Saturday, September 6, in Akanda, Gabon. Founded by Prisca Koho Nlend, the company aims to strengthen the role of...

• LINX to manage Asteroid’s IXPs in Mombasa, Nairobi• Migration of networks to LINX hubs set by end-2025• Move supports LINX’s broader African digital expansion strategy The London Internet Exchange (LINX), an operator of internet exchange points (IXP), announced Monday, September 8, a new cooperation agreement with Asteroid, a global IXP incubator. LINX will take over the management...

• Gabon proposes $13B budget for 2026, up 72% from 2025• Shift to zero-based budgeting to prioritize impactful spending• Budget supports economic reforms amid slowing growth forecasts The Gabonese government is proposing a budget of approximately 7.23 trillion CFA francs ($13 billion) for 2026, a significant 72% increase over the 2025 budget of 4.20 trillion CFA francs, according to a...

As a relatively small issuer in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) market, Benin is surprisingly borrowing at more favorable terms than its larger neighbor, Côte d'Ivoire, which is considered the regional benchmark. Its highly sought-after debt is attracting significant investor interest. How could that be? Benin raised 33 billion CFA francs ($59 million) through a 91-day...