Ecuador may overtake Ghana in cocoa output by 2025/26 Ecuador's yields, farmer pay drive projected 650,000-ton harvest Ghana’s 600,000-ton rebound keeps the rankings race competitive Ghana is likely to be overtaken by Ecuador as the world's second-largest cocoa producer in the 2025/26 season, according to Ivan Ontaneda, president of the Ecuadorian Association of Cocoa Exporters...

Public debt reached 72.5% of GDP in 2024, above CEMAC’s 70% threshold. Expansionary spending and falling oil revenues drive debt surge. Debt service hit 42.6% of revenues in 2024; costly eurobond buyback reflects default risk. Gabon’s public debt is expected to climb to 86.1% of GDP by 2027, well above the CEMAC convergence ceiling of 70%, the World Bank said in its latest...

Marsa Maroc orders 18 container cranes from Chinese supplier ZPMC for delivery in late 2026. Equipment will support operations at Casablanca and the new Nador West Med port. Investment part of “Marsa 2030” plan, aiming to double revenue and expand in Africa. Marsa Maroc announced yesterday it has placed an order with Chinese supplier ZPMC (Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries) for...

Newmont begins first gold pour at Ahafo North, a $950 mln project in Ghana Deposit holds 4.6 mln ounces and could add 275,000 ounces of output yearly Ghana holds 10% stake; mine expected to create 560 permanent, 1,000 contract jobs US-based Newmont Corp has poured first gold at its Ahafo North project in Ghana, marking the start of production at a deposit expected to deliver...

Zambia secures $63m World Bank funding to extend 2,000 km of fiber and expand last-mile broadband. Project will connect 500+ government institutions, schools and higher-education sites, with $8m in co-investment. Program supports Vision 2030 goals, adds digital ID, e-gov, and skills training to boost fintech and agritech jobs. Zambia secured $63 million in financing...

Top 20 fossil fuel producers plan to more than double output allowed under Paris deal. By 2030, coal, oil, and gas output could surpass 1.5°C pathway by 500%, 31%, and 92%. Report raises concerns ahead of COP30 in Brazil over weak net-zero commitments. By 2030, the world’s biggest fossil fuel producers plan to extract more than twice the coal, oil, and gas that would be...

Dutch firm De Heus to build new feed factory in Korhogo, expanding its footprint. Move follows €8 bln CFA ($14.4 mln) investment in Attinguié poultry feed plant in 2023. Côte d’Ivoire targets doubling chicken output to 200,000 tons by 2030, boosting feed demand. Dutch animal feed producer De Heus plans to build a new production facility in Korhogo, northern Côte...

Nigeria’s economy grew 4.23% year-on-year in Q2 2025, up from 3.19% in Q1. Oil sector expanded 20.42% with output rising to 1.68 million barrels per day. GDP rebasing lifted economy size to $243 billion but kept Nigeria 4th in Africa. Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 4.23% in the second quarter of 2025 compared with 3.19% in the first quarter, the National Bureau of...

Only 67% of primary teachers in West Africa meet national qualification standards, and attrition rates reach over 20% in some countries. UNESCO, the EU and the African Union launched regional initiatives to modernize curricula and boost teacher training. Countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Gambia have begun reforms to improve teacher retention and professional...

AJN starts early works at Ethiopia’s Okote gold project after $10m JV deal with Godu. 600 trench samples under review; results to guide 1,500m drilling plan. Move marks AJN’s gold entry as prices surge 40%+; Ethiopia attracts more juniors. Canadian junior miner AJN Resources announced on September 22, the start of preliminary works on the Okote gold project in...