Next April, payment of land taxes via mobile will be experimented in Cote d’Ivoire, revealed the government. This falls in line with its goal to “improve the management of small tax payers and better fight fiscal fraud”, said the Tax head office. The land management office will now integrate the reform for e-payment which was announced on February 10 by Karim Traoré, Director of cabinet...

An e-payment statistics for 2012-2016 released on Tuesday by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that the value of transactions through Instant electronic fund transfer, otherwise known as Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Instant Payments (NIPs), increased from the N3.8 trillion in 2012 to N29.6 trillion in 2016, the highest amongst six other payment channels in Nigeria. The other...

Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), an arm of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced plans to launch a $300 million agribusiness loan project for young farmers across the country. According to the Executive Director of NIRSAL, Babajide Arowosafe, the project known as ‘Youth Enable’ is to be financed by the African Development Bank...

The Central Bank of Nigeria has dismissed claims by its former deputy governor, Obadiah Mailafia that up to 20% of naira in circulation was fake. According to a statement by CBN’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okoroafor (photo), the bank has stringent policies put in place in the country to ensure that the prevalence of the counterfeit note is minimal. “While we...

Power Africa plans to invest about $1billion in the Nigerian power sector, Andrew Herscowitz, the Programme Coordinator, revealed on Tuesday. According to Herscowitz, the U.S has already committed billions of dollars in the funding of energy projects in Nigeria and the country needs to see capital flow in the entire energy value chain. “Since Power Africa was launched, U.S’ Trade...

Oil majors Shell and Eni have asked the Nigerian court to withdraw the order it issued last month regarding the forfeiture of assets and transfer of operations of their OPL 245 oil field, which is involved in the Malabu scandal. Royal Dutch Shell in a court filling, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters on Tuesday, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),...

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Eastern Kasaï which is located in the central part of the country is the most affected by land-related conflicts. This was revealed in a report of the ad-hoc commission established by the customary district of Bakwa Kashile. “The Bakwa Kashile district, in the Bakwa Kalonji chieftaincy, also located in Tshilenge territory, Eastern Kasaï, appears as...

The European Union’s aid programme to fishery and aquaculture in Algeria was launched on Monday 13 February, in Algiers. Valued at €15 million, the programme is fully financed by the EU and should contribute to the sustainable development of the fishery and aquaculture sectors. The programme will stimulate local initiatives in the following wilayas : Ain Temouchent, Sétif and...

Algerian pharmaceutical laboratory Huppharma entered into partnership with Saudi counterpart Jamjoom Pharma to open an ophthalmology drug factory in Constantine (400 km East of Algiers). The industrial unit will have a production capacity of 250 million eye-drops bottles per year, according to APS. Established under the 51-49% rule regulating foreign investment in Algeria, the Saudi-Algerian...

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has called on the federal government to review the gas pricing of generation companies (GENCOs) from dollar to naira. This announcement is in line with the pricing methodology which mandates the commission to carry out a minor review of the tariff bi-annually. According to NERC’s Head of Public Affairs Department, Usman Arabi, over 80%...