Burkina Faso has secured a FCFA19.5 billion grant from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) which will be invested in the life and subsistence segment of the Programme for sustainable growth of pastoralism in the Sahel. This was revealed by the African Press Agency (APA) citing the ministry of economy and finance. The project aims to “boost animal production and subsequently increase revenues...

On May 15th, the Nigerian oil firm Oando said it is in talks with Italian firm Eni to rehabilitate Nigeria’s Port Harcourt refinery. In a public notice released on Monday, the Nigerian firm said if talks are successful, it will work with Agip, Eni’s subsidiary, to rehabilitate the plant so that it produces the volume it was designed to, knowingly 210,000 barrels per day (bpd). Currently the...

In partnership with MainOne, the Lagos State government launched a free public Wi-Fi project in Lagos. This, on the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the State’s creation. The news was disclosed by the Executive Governor of the Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode. He said the project will cover parks and gardens in the city. “Parks and Gardens are established to provide conducive environment...

Management Environmental Finance (MEFIN Srl), an Italian firm specialized in waste management said it is interested in establishing a €40 million waste-recycling plant in Calabar, Cross River State. “It will cost Cross River nothing to install the plant as the company is committed to using the state as its pilot for the establishment of the plant in Nigeria and it is going to invest 40...

Is Eurofind going to enter the Ivorian cocoa and cashew processing market soon? This is what suggests a meeting between the firm’s chief executive, Adham El Khalil, and Cote d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, news website Koaci reported. Though Eurofind did not give full details regarding its plans, the company said it has the government’s support if it intends to enter...

Nigeria’s oil pipeline Trans Forcados is expected to load at least two cargoes of 950,000 barrels within this month, trading sources revealed. This will be the first cargoes to be loaded since November 2016. This comes a few days after other traders disclosed that Shell was conducting tests at the pipeline. Therefore, Shell may be part of those loading one of the two cargoes this month. Shell...

On May 11, about a hundred people from the Kiponda chiefdom in Kipushi, Katanga district, have led a protest at the Lubumbashi court. According to Radio Okapi who reported the news, the protesters denounced the “spoliation of their lands”. The protesters accuse the “municipal and customary authorities of Kipushi”, as well as the national cadaster office of selling their lands,...

In 2016, development aid from the French Development Agency (AFD) for Africa stood at €4 billion, up 25% compared to 2015. A performance which comes in a context where international aid for Africa is slumping. France’s contribution is spurred by major changes related to demography, society, ecology, energy, digital, technology, but also political changes. Out of the support from AFD to...

On May 11, the Nigerian parliament has approved the 2017 budget which stands at N7.44 trillion ($24.4 billion). This is about N1 trillion more the amount proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 14, 2016, knowingly 7.3 trillion naira ($23.2 billion). With the budget passed, the government will be able to borrow 2.3 trillion naira which is to be used to plug its budget deficit which...

The United Nations said it is seeking further $900 million this year to resolve crisis in Somalia where more than 6 million people, including about 275,000 malnourished children, need humanitarian aid. This was revealed on May 11 by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. “This morning, we presented the revised humanitarian response plan seeking an additional $900 million the end of...