ASX-listed miner Walkabout Resources declared on Sept 9, 2016, that annual graphite production rate at its Lindi project, in Tanzania, should be below 40,000 tons. This was revealed by the firm’s MD, Allan Mulligan, who refused to announce the results of the exploratory study conducted by the firm, at Lindi. “Our production level will be modest, probably the most modest among all the...

Banks listed on the Bourse des Valeurs Mobilières de Tunis (Tunis’ stock exchange)) had a cumulated Net Banking Product of 1.5 billion Tunisian dinars ($684.5 million), in the first half of the year ended last June 30. Financial results for the period show that this performance is 10.1% higher than that of the same period in 2015 (1.36 billion dinar). Moreover, data released by 10 out of the...

In an interview with French daily Les Echos, Bernard Cambier, Director of Africa-Middle East-India zone of Renault, said the car manufacturer should produce about 400,000 cars in Morocco, in 2016. According to Cambier, production at Renault’s two Moroccan plants should significantly increase this year. The Tangiers factory should produce more than 300,000 cars in 2016, against 230,000 in...

In Senegal, farmers from Diokoul denounced the spoliation of their lands after municipal autorities granted 1,000 hectares of agricultural lands to Senegindia for potato farming. Hundreds of these farmers organized a protest last Thursday to be heard. “These fields here are our grand-fathers’, fathers’ and even our sons’ fields ! We make our living from these fields! So why is it...

Ivorian authorities have given a six-day deadline to cocoa exports to provide documented evidence of their export permits. These documents should include a proof of acquisition otherwise their cocoa purchase will be cancelled and volumes that should have normally been given them, sold back. Analysts estimate that between 200 to 250,000 metric tons of cocoa are concerned here. Reuters indicated...

In Gabon, the nine magistrates of the Constitutional Court who have until September 23, 2016 to give the verdict regarding the Presidential elections of last Aug 27th are currently reviewing appeals resulting from the re-election out outgoing president, Ali Bongo. In the process, the review of votes of the Haut-Ogoué province where Bongo had 95% of votes is decisive and crucial. In the...

In a joint study entitled “The cost of air pollution: Strenghtening the economic case for action, the World Bank and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)” said air pollution is the fourth cause of premature deaths in the world. Losses in work revenues associated to these deaths have been estimated to around $225 billion, in 2013, the study highlights. Air pollution...

Morocco’s government forecast an economic growth of 4.5% for 2017 against less than 2% in 2016, during which the country experienced its worst drought in decades, Reuters reported on September 8, citing official sources. The budget deficit of the nation should around 3% of GDP against 3.5% in 2016, the same sources added. The drought that washed over Morocco cut its grains output to 3.35...

BP Exploration Limited has awarded Nexans a contract to provide about 100 km of static umbilical and related accessories for the next phase of the West Nile Delta project. The West Nile Delta project involves the development of gas and condensate fields located within the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater concessions in the Mediterranean Sea.The contract will help BP and its...

ExxonMobil is putting an October 8 to 16 loading cargo of Nigeria's Qua Iboe crude oil on offer at a prize of $1.80 per barrel, according to sources. This is the first offer since the company declared force majeure on Nigeria's largest export stream in July, due to a leak on the pipeline that feeds the oil to the export terminal. It is however unclear if the pipeline has been refurbished,...