Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) makes up over 70% of Nigeria's mining activities and supports millions of people, according to the UNDP. However, its informal nature fosters massive tax losses for the federal and state governments. The Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), in a February 2025 report, suggests that better collaboration between federal and state governments could help...

Over the past few years, BOAD has significantly increased its commitment to Benin, "In just four years, BOAD has invested the equivalent of 30% of all the funding it has provided to Benin over its 52-year history, marking a significant step up in its commitment. There is no doubt that the bank is fully committed to supporting the country's economic transformation through major infrastructure...

The report highlights that nearly half of the ports built or operated by Beijing in Africa have the technical and structural capabilities to accommodate Chinese naval fleets. Chinese state-owned companies are involved in 78 African ports as financiers, builders, or operators, representing 33% of the continent's port infrastructure. This is part of Beijing's broader strategy to boost trade flows...

Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire raised over CFA11 billion in just 48 hours through WAEMU’s first gender bond, with support from the IFC. The funds will be exclusively used to finance women-led businesses under the Ellever program. Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire has successfully closed the first-ever gender bond in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), raising over CFA11 billion ($18.2...

Despite an improvement in internet penetration in Africa, millions remain offline due to inadequate infrastructure. The MEDUSA AFRICA project will expand high-speed, low-latency internet access, particularly in underserved coastal and inland regions. African infrastructure and telecom operator AFR-IX Telecom has secured new funding from the European Commission to support the expansion of the...

Debt payments are expected to keep declining in the coming years, freeing up more room in national budgets for crucial investments in sustainable development goals like quality education and better access to healthcare. African countries are expected to pay $88.71 billion in external debt service in 2025, a 13% drop from the $102.59 billion projected for 2024, according to a report by...

Burkina Faso’s largest gold mine, Essakane, produces over 400,000 ounces annually. Despite benefiting from rising gold prices, the Canadian company Iamgold faces soaring costs due to insecurity. The escalating insecurity in Burkina Faso has taken a toll on Essakane, the nation's biggest gold mine run by Canadian firm Iamgold. Terrorist attacks have driven up operating expenses by 51% from 2021...

Gold prices rose by about 30% in 2024 and continued to climb in the early weeks of 2025. However, after reaching a peak of $2,936 an ounce in February, they started slumping, despite ongoing factors that initially drove the increase. On Monday, March 10, gold prices fell to a weekly low of $2,883 an ounce, according to the World Gold Council, before rebounding to $2,910 an ounce...

Since it sold its Arcadia lithium project in Zimbabwe for $400 million, Australia's Prospect Resources has been searching for a new African asset in the metals sector. The company's Mumbezhi project in Zambia could become this asset. On Tuesday, March 11, Prospect Resources published an initial mineral resource estimate for its Mumbezhi copper project in Zambia. This project contains 107.2...

This decline stands in sharp contrast to the average share of funding received by the sector between 2017 and 2023. Africa, however, remains a land of opportunity, especially as investment banks become increasingly saturated and commercial banks are squeezed by new risk regulations. Private equity investments in infrastructure across Africa saw a decline in 2024, falling to 38% of the total...