Tanzania produced a record 12.26 million tons of maize in 2023/2024, up 53%. Output pushed the country ahead of Nigeria and Ethiopia, second only to South Africa. Growth was driven by fertilizer subsidies, certified seeds, and better farming practices. Tanzania set a record maize harvest of 12.26 million tons in the 2023/2024 season, according to figures from the Ministry of...

Bank loans in Niger fell 18.2% in 2024, the steepest decline in WAEMU. Long-term loans dropped 18.6%, while short-term loans rose 28.1%. Niger posted the highest rate of bad loans in the union at 26.8%. In 2024, Niger posted the largest contraction in bank lending within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). According to the union’s 2024 annual report published in...

Ghana’s Mahama begins state visit to Singapore for cooperation Talks focus on trade, innovation, urban, and digital sectors Mahama to address Africa-Singapore Forum, lead investment roundtable Ghanaian President John Mahama arrived in Singapore on Monday for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, trade, and investment. Mahama, who was invited by...

ECOWAS launches €4.5M school feeding program in West Africa Program boosts child nutrition, local farming, and rural jobs 16 NGO projects backed by Spain target multisectoral development The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced a 4.5 million euro ($5.2 million) program on Saturday, Aug. 23, to modernize school feeding in the region. The initiative,...

Algeria orders mobile coverage expansion along national road network Poor coverage linked to rising road accidents, safety concerns 4G rollout, 5G launch, and fiber upgrades underway by 2027 Algeria's Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Sid-Ali Zerrouki, has directed mobile operators to invest in extending their mobile networks to the country's road arteries. The order came...

Degas to invest $100M in Ghanaian AI-driven agriculture Initiative targets financing, precision farming, and yield improvement Builds on Ghana’s growing digital agriculture ecosystem and pilots Degas Limited, a Japanese agri-fintech startup plans to invest $100 million in Ghana over the next four years to boost the use of artificial intelligence in the agricultural...

Global carriers dominate the continent’s ports, but countries are reviving national fleets and targeting regional niches to reduce a multibillion-dollar drain on foreign exchange. The growing dominance of global shipping lines has reignited the debate over maritime sovereignty in Africa, where nations are seeking to decongest roads, boost intra-continental trade, and reduce foreign exchange...

A tenfold increase in capacity is possible by 2050, an IAEA report says, but financing and regional cooperation will be key to unlocking atomic power for over 20 nations. More than two dozen African countries are pursuing nuclear power, a significant shift that could increase the continent's installed nuclear capacity tenfold by 2050, according to a report published early August by the...

• Kenya's stock market is Africa's top performer since May 2024, driven by strong gains and a stable currency• The rally is concentrated in a few stocks and sectors, while fixed-income markets remain dominant.• Future growth hinges on broadening market participation and upcoming privatizations to improve liquidity. Kenya’s stock market has experienced an exceptional surge since May 2024,...

While the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been holding an increasing number of protocols and summits to promote regional integration since 1992, most of these commitments have gone unfulfilled. The rotating presidency, which Madagascar assumes this month, begins a new chapter. However, the organization's structural contradictions continue to limit its room to maneuver. The...