• ECOWAS plans a rapid deployment brigade of 260,000 troops costing $2.5bn annually.• The force will back frontline states with logistics and financial support against terrorism.• Sahel violence killed 51% of global terror victims in 2024, with threat spreading south. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) needs $2.5 billion per year to set up a 260,000-strong...

Mastercard and Circle expand their partnership to enable EEMEA banks to settle transactions in USDC and EURC stablecoins. The move aims to reduce remittance costs, expedite cross-border payments, and safeguard SMEs against currency volatility. Mastercard positions stablecoins as mainstream money, backed by its Multi-Token Network and regulatory safeguards. Mastercard and Circle, issuer of...

Mali hosts two lithium mines, Goulamina and Bougouni, which are primarily controlled by Chinese firms that channel their output through local subsidiaries. Exports from Kodal Minerals’ Bougouni mine remain suspended as authorities seek to ensure sales align with market prices, a stance analysts say is justified given the sector’s complexities. In an interview with Ecofin Agency, Adam...

Nearly 600 million Africans lack electricity, equal to 80% of the global deficit. Power shortages hit telecoms, data centers, and digital services across the continent. World Bank, AfDB, and donors are scaling up electrification and mini-grid projects. About 600 million Africans still have no access to electricity, representing nearly half the continent’s population and more than 80% of...

Sadot and Vodacom’s MOTI launch Africa’s first telco-powered farm-to-fork app to cut crop losses and bypass middlemen. The Zambia pilot links farmers to buyers with instant M-Pesa payments, AI pricing, and cold-chain logistics in one platform. Expansion to Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique in 2026 aims to onboard 50,000 growers and boost financial inclusion. Sadot LLC, global food supply...

UN report shows Nigeria among the hardest hit globally by soaring prices of starchy foods and oils between 2019 and 2024. Prices of maize, yam, vegetable oil, and wheat flour multiplied up to tenfold in five years. Nigerian households now spend about 50% of their income on food, worsening food insecurity. Nigeria is among the countries most affected by surging food prices in recent years,...

E-money institutions in WAEMU grew revenues to CFA291.3bn in 2024, up from CFA172.9bn in 2022. Despite growth, they posted a net loss of CFA17.3bn in 2024, their third year in deficit. The sector counted 14 licensed firms by end-2024, down from 17 a year earlier. E-money institutions (EMIs) in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) have seen strong growth in recent years,...

Nigeria and Brazil roll out the $8bn Green Imperative plan, including $2.5bn in livestock investment with JBS. The project calls for 10,000 tractors, 50,000 tools, and aims to create over 5 million jobs. Tinubu’s visit to Brasília seeks faster progress as 31 million Nigerians face food insecurity. Seven years after the signing of an initial memorandum of understanding, Nigeria...

• Kenya Airways aims to raise $500 million by Q1 2026 to expand its fleet from 34 to 53 aircraft over five years.• The airline posted a pre-tax loss of about $94.1 million in H1 2025 due to grounded Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners affecting passenger numbers and revenue.• After years of losses and a government bailout, Kenya Airways returned to profit in 2024 thanks to...

• CCA Bank plans first expansion outside Cameroon with a new branch in Chad, following talks with the finance minister.• The entry would make CCA the 11th commercial bank in Chad, where financial inclusion remains at just 5% of the population.• New CEMAC single license rules ease regional expansion, boosting CCA Bank’s move into Chad’s competitive banking market. Cameroon’s CCA Bank...