• Côte d’Ivoire issued a ¥50 billion ($336.2M) Samurai bond, first for sub-Saharan Africa• The 10-year, 2.3% ESG-labeled bond was backed by JBIC and drew strong demand• Part of broader 2025 strategy, including $1.75B eurobond and CFA 220B local issuance Côte d'Ivoire’s Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday, July 17, 2025, the country successfully issued a 50 billion yen...

• Oil production has held steady. Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and OPEC confirm oil output averaged between 1.1 and 1.6 Gas flaring in Nigeria has surged to a four-year high, costing the country over $1 billion in the first five months of 2025.• Lax penalties and loopholes in Nigerian law make it cheaper for oil producers to flare gas than to...

• Zambia launches the Growth Investment Partners Zambia (GIP) initiative to raise over $300 million for SMEs.• The program aims to support 150 SMEs over the next 15 years, with $70 million already secured from key international partners.• President Hakainde Hichilema emphasizes SMEs’ pivotal role, as they account for 80% of GDP, 88% of jobs, and 97% of businesses in Zambia. The...

• Montage Gold secures key stakes in several West African gold projects, positioning itself as a leading contender ahead of its flagship mine’s launch in 2027.• The company’s network of equity deals links it to major gold sites in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Mali, giving it dominant leverage in the region.• Backing from the Lundin family, top institutional investors, and international...

• Two NGOs sued the US Export-Import Bank, claiming it approved a $4.7B loan to Mozambique LNG in violation of legal procedures.• The loan is critical to restarting the TotalEnergies-led project, stalled since 2021 due to jihadist violence.• The legal flaw—loan approval by an interim board without Senate-confirmed directors—could void the deal and stall financing. The US...

• Ivory Coast loses over 100 tons of cocoa, coffee, and cashew nuts weekly to smuggling, despite ongoing border control operations.• Authorities now shift focus toward civic education and national awareness to fight the illicit outflow of agricultural products.• In 2023, cocoa, coffee, and cashew exports brought in $512.5 million—66% of all export levies—highlighting the...

(AfDB) - The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved €173.84 million for the Rwanda Energy Sector Result-Based Financing (RBF II) program to modernize the electricity network, expand access to clean energy, and strengthen institutional capacity. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will provide an additional €86.92 million, bringing the total...

• Mauritania signed a $30.5 million loan deal with the Islamic Development Bank to reform vocational training.• The project targets youth employability by aligning skills training with labor market needs.• Over 60% of Mauritania’s population is under 25, yet youth unemployment reached 24% in 2023. Mauritania approved a $30.5 million loan deal with the Islamic Development Bank...

(AfDB)-The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a $17 million grant to support recovery and resilient-building efforts in conflict-affected northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. The funding will support the Resilient Investment for Socio-Economic Empowerment, Peace, and Security (RISE-PS) Project, a bold new initiative to tackle the root causes of...

(AfDB)-The African Development Bank, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, Nigeria’s Federal Government and the Abia State, has launched the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project, a transformative $263.8 million initiative to modernize urban infrastructure, enhance mobility, and promote inclusive, climate-resilient development over the next five years. The...