Benin approved modular digital campuses to create 4,000 new university seats across five cities. The government launched a national distance-learning agency to modernize higher education through digital tools. Rising baccalaureate pass rates and student enrollment increased pressure on public university capacity. Benin announced the creation of a National Distance Learning Agency in...

MTN entered advanced talks to acquire IHS Towers, in which it already holds a 25% stake. A full acquisition could value the remaining shares at about $2.06 billion. Africa’s telecom tower market is projected to reach $4.03 billion in 2026. South African telecom group MTN said on February 5 that it has entered advanced discussions to acquire tower company IHS Towers, in which it...

Burkina Faso converted unpaid public debt into equity and took full control of Biothic Industries. The company failed to repay 332 million CFA francs in due payments by end-2025. The government integrated Biothic Industries into the state-owned enterprise portfolio to relaunch operations. In Burkina Faso, the Council of Ministers meeting on February 5, 2026 approved the full takeover of...

UN rights chief launches $400 million appeal amid donor funding cuts Reduced funding slashes missions, staffing and investigations worldwide Sudan faces famine conditions as human rights and humanitarian needs surge UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Thursday, Feb. 5, launched a $400 million funding appeal to meet rapidly growing human rights protection needs in several...

Egypt plans $2 billion eurobond issuance in late 2025-26 Demand strong for five-year bonds, government says Eurobond issuance capped at $4 billion in 2026 Egypt plans to issue a $2 billion eurobond in the second half of the 2025-26 fiscal year (July 1-June 30), Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Tuesday at a seminar on capital market development. “We are seeing...

Barrick forecasts 260,000-290,000 ounces from Mali mine in 2026 Loulo-Gounkoto returns to guidance after dispute settlement with Mali Production recovery gradual, remains below pre-dispute output levels Canadian miner Barrick Gold expects attributable gold production of between 260,000 and 290,000 ounces in 2026 from its Loulo-Gounkoto mine in Mali, the company said in its financial report...

Burkina Faso launches floating cage fish farming project at Yakouta dam Dori site starts with 22 cages, targets 200 tons annually Government pushes aquaculture to cut fish imports and boost output Agriculture Minister Ismael Sombie launched an aquaculture production project on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at a site in Dori, in Burkina Faso’s northeastern Liptako region. The ministry said in a...

Rio Tinto drops Glencore merger talks after failing to reach agreement Proposed deal valued combined miner above $200 billion Copper synergies attractive, but valuation, culture and regulatory hurdles remain Rio Tinto said on Thursday, Feb. 5, that it had dropped merger plans with Swiss miner Glencore after the two sides failed to reach an agreement that would create value for its...

Floods damaged over 5,000 km of roads, disrupting transport nationwide Repeated climate shocks strain finances, limiting resilient infrastructure investment The cost of restoring Mozambique’s road network after recent floods is estimated at about $3.5 billion, Transport and Logistics Minister João Matlombe said. Matlombe said the government had approved an initial $1.2 billion...

Buenassa has submitted a $1.5bn bid to acquire Chemaf as part of a $3.5bn industrial plan The roadmap includes completion of Chemaf’s mining units and a two-phase copper-cobalt refinery The bid comes ahead of the February 4 Washington summit on critical minerals amid rival offers Buenassa has put forward a $1.5 billion offer to acquire Chemaf, a copper and cobalt producer...