The African grain industry is facing new challenges every day. The quality and standard requirements of local markets are improving. Damaged, diseased and discoloured products affects end product quality and impacts on profitability whereas foreign materials such as sticks and stones affects product value. In the non-food industry, waste represents 20% of total production costs. Players are...

What if the answer to conflicts related to state domains attribution was a database? Well, this is the option that the Burundian minister of environment, Celestin Ndayizeye, went for, he revealed to Bonesha Fm. The official told the radio station that works to identify state domains have commenced in this framework. “A team of investigators is currently busily working. Amongst documents...

A weak local currency and an inflation still above 16% may not allow the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) follow the footsteps of South Africa and Ghana in reducing interest rates, Bloomberg reports. Even though price growth in Nigeria, slowed to 16.1% in June, it still remains above government’s target of 6-9%. “Inflation still remains very high. It would be wrong to demonstrate too much...

Oando Plc, has launched its newly constructed midstream jetty designed to reduce the challenges associated with the discharge of petroleum products at Nigerian ports. This is also estimated to save the country over $120 million in demurrage annually. The new facility has a half-kilometer subsea pipeline, and a 16” 3km onshore line and is capable of delivering over 3 million tonnes a...

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), has shut its Trans Niger pipeline (TNP) due to a leak. The company in a statement on Monday, said the pipeline which is capable of carrying 180,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day was shut last Friday, following a leakage at B-Dere in Ogoniland, southeast Nigeria. The cause of the leak is unknown but SPDC said investigations are being carried...

Dufil Prima Food Plc has on Monday revealed plans to raise N40 billion ($131 million) from the local debt market to boost its capital base. According to the Chief Operating Officer of Dufil, Madhukar Khetan, although the issue has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the timing of the sale is still subject to market conditions. Nigeria is currently in its second-year of...

Randgold Resources still works to achieve its goals to extend the lifespan of its Tongon mine ine Ivory Coast. During a press conference held last Saturday, the firm’s CEO, Mark Bristow (photo), declared that the mine is on the right track to achieve forecast output of 285,000 ounces, adding that the company is focusing on exploration to secure new reserves and resources. Actually, the various...

In Morocco, the debt of telecom group Itissalat Al Maghrib, mostly known as Maroc Telecom, has increased by about 4.7 billion dirhams ($491.6 million) over the first half of 2017, ended on June 30. The rise is mainly due to bank borrowings (repayable in less than 12 months) having exceeded four billion dirhams. As investments slumped by a little more than 20% over the period reviewed, the group...

Guinness Nigeria says it has started receiving subscriptions for its N39.70 billion ($126 mln) share sale to existing shareholders. This is expected to end in five weeks. It should be recalled that last month, the company announced that it is looking towards share sale to raise $126 million from existing shareholders to mitigate the impact of increasing finance costs, optimize our balance...

According to figures compiled for FTfm by data provider Morningstar, in the first half of this year, bond funds attracted more than $355 billion, against $375 billion for the whole of 2016. The surge, which was recorded despite procedures by central banks to standardize monetary policy, marks investors’ interest in fixed-income funds. The net figure recorded at the end of May...