• Nigeria may reintroduce a 5% tax on data and voice services under 2024 Finance Bill• Operators warn it could raise costs and slow digital access across the country• Over 40% of Nigerians remain offline, highlighting digital inclusion concerns Nigeria may bring back a 5% excise tax on telecom services, according to the 2024 Finance Bill passed by the Senate last week. The tax would apply...

• Unemployment among South Africans aged 15–24 rose to 62.4% in Q1 2025• Total youth jobless rate (15–34) reached 46.1%, up 9.2 points in 10 years• Nearly 1.9 million young people stopped looking for work, Stats SA reports South Africa is facing a growing unemployment crisis among its young population. According to data published by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on May 13,...

• Tidjane Thiam re-elected as head of Côte d’Ivoire’s PDCI party with 99.77% of the vote• He dismissed recent criticism and pledged to focus on leading the party back to power• His leadership faces legal challenges just five months ahead of the presidential election Tidjane Thiam has been re-elected as president of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally...

Italy has reaffirmed its partnership with the African Development Bank and expressed keenness to explore mutual growth opportunities in Africa under the Mattei Plan. Stefano Gatti, Director General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (FAIC) and Lorenzo Ortona, Head of the Mattei Plan Task Force led a delegation to the Bank’s Abidjan...

• Ethiopia has signed $1.7 billion in investment deals, mainly in mining and solar panel production.• Most commitments come from Chinese companies, reinforcing China’s lead as top investor.• The deals align with Ethiopia’s reform efforts under its $3.4 billion IMF-backed program. Ethiopia has signed $1.7 billion worth of investment agreements, Finance Minister Ahmed...

Cabo Verde has inaugurated the Mindelo Technology Park, completing the second campus of the TechPark CV project funded by the African Development Bank. The facility aims to establish the country as a digital hub connecting Africa with global markets. The ceremony took place on May 6 with representatives from the government, industry, and development partners in attendance. The EUR 51.85 million...

In 2024, 59% of Chinese energy projects announced in Africa were in renewables. From 2010 to 2021, China provided $65 billion in financing for renewable projects across the continent. Chinese solar and wind tech exports to Africa rose 153% between 2020 and 2024. Renewable energy accounted for 59% of the 49 energy projects announced in Africa in 2024 by Chinese companies,...

Senegal has launched a nationwide project to build 100 warehouses and 20 cold rooms. The program is designed to reduce post-harvest losses, which cost CFA100 billion annually. Spanish firm INTERMAQ 2012 SL is leading the rollout under a public-private partnership. The government of Senegal has launched a national project to increase the country’s crop storage capacity by...

Ghana will seek private partners to handle electricity billing in a move to recover payments and reduce losses. The state power distributor ECG currently recovers only 62% of what it buys from producers. The government is trying to restructure $2.5 billion in energy debt, with $1.6 billion already under discussion. Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama announced yesterday a...

 Egypt will offer a 15% discount on Suez Canal transit fees for large container ships starting May 15, 2025, for 90 days. The move follows a ceasefire agreement involving the U.S. and Houthi rebels and aims to reverse a steep drop in traffic. Egypt has lost $800 million per month in canal revenue; the government is pushing to restore traffic and hit $13 billion in earnings by...