The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has announced its plan to buy public securities from Niger worth CFA77 billion. Scheduled for May 7, this move comes as Niger re-enters the public securities market on April 26, after recent sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were lifted. Niger raised CFA457 billion with various issuances during this return. The...

In a recent meeting held on April 26, 2024, the board of directors of the banking group BGFI Group proposed distributing a dividend of CFA11,000 per share for FY2023. This remuneration is slightly lower than the CFA15,850 per share distributed in 2022 but remains generous considering the macroeconomic context in which the group operated across its various markets. The company opted to strengthen...

Telecom company Airtel Africa is in talks for a $200 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's arm focused on financing private sector ventures in emerging markets. The African subsidiary of Bharti Airtel plans to utilize the funds to cover its capital expenditure (CAPEX) requirements and refinance existing debt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),...

In 2023, Côte d'Ivoire's most significant commercial gain was achieved collectively with Mali and Burkina Faso, despite being the 3rd and 6th individual clients. Official data shows that they purchased CFA1,444.6 billion worth of Ivorian products, solidifying their pivotal role in the country's trade relations. Unlike major clients like the Netherlands and Switzerland, which mainly purchase raw...

Ghana is preparing for the development of its inaugural lithium mine in collaboration with Australian firm Atlantic Lithium. Local authorities are focused on optimizing the country's gains from the Ewoyaa resources. Ghanaian investors will soon be able to buy Atlantic Lithium shares on the country’s local stock exchange. The company has secured approval from the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE)...

Guinea, known for its significant bauxite production, is also a notable gold producer. In 2022, the country yielded 21.23 tonnes of gold, with expectations of increased output in the future, driven by the new Bankan project. Predictive Discovery, an Australian junior mining company, recently announced a share placement to raise 50 million Australian dollars (approximately $32.6 million) for...

Resolute Mining, an Australian company, operates the Syama gold mines in Mali and the Mako mines in Senegal, with a target gold production of 365,000 ounces (10.3 tonnes) from these African sites. The company reported a 17% year-on-year decrease in gold production to 76,351 ounces, primarily due to reduced output at the Syama gold mine in Mali. Resolute Mining reported that Syama yielded 48,459...

Despite security challenges, Burkina Faso's economy demonstrates resilience with promising outlooks. For the 2024 fiscal year, customs aims to collect $1.8 billion. In Burkina Faso, customs collected CFA262.22 billion ($427 million) in revenue in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Burkina Information Agency (AIB). This collection represents a recovery rate of 100.38% compared to...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on April 30 that it has reached an agreement with the Malian transitional authorities on an emergency financing of $120 million. The financing, which will be provided under the IMF's Rapid Credit Facility "exogenous shocks" window, will primarily support the provision of food and targeted cash transfers to people facing acute food insecurity...

Contrary to widespread perception, Nigeria emerges as the primary beneficiary of Cote d'Ivoire's trade, based on data released by the Ivorian customs administration covering the period from 2019 to 2023. Nigeria's cumulative trade surplus with Cote d'Ivoire reached CFA5,170 billion ($8.4 billion), making it the leading beneficiary of trade in goods between Côte d'Ivoire and its partner...