African markets and business updates

Nigeria leads on payments and fintech in Africa, and that isn’t a conversation that needs an argument. It’s anchored on world-class payments system visions and the rigorous implementation that comes with them. The Central Bank of Nigeria has been at this for almost twenty years, and it’s genuinely good at it. The first vision came in the mid-2000s ; the last one launched in November 2022 , and between them they took a country where most adults had no bank account, and cash settled almost everything…

…as exports account for 60.85% of total trade in Q1 2026 Nigeria recorded a positive balance of trade of N7.55 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, a 340.88 per cent leap over the N1.7 trillion surplus recorded in the

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation ( ), has launched "Beyond Power; Leadership, Global Influence and Impact”, her first virtual Mentorship and Leadership Platform through Substack , creating an accessible resource designed to inspire, guide, and support future leaders, particularly women and young future leaders. The platform is accessible to all, ensuring that aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds can access valuable mentorship, leadership insights, and practical guidance.…

A twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug has arrived in South Africa. The rollout of the drug, lenacapavir, is underway in the country that needs it the most, about a-year-and-a-half after US aid cuts hit some of its HIV programmes.

A boat carrying dozens of migrants attempting to cross the sea from Africa to Europe reportedly capsized in the central Mediterranean Sea on Sunday

On June 2, ExxonMobil and NBA Africa ( www.Africa.NBA.com ) held an interactive STEM Showcase and a Jr. NBA clinic for 100 boys and girls ages 16 and under at the Instituto Politécnico Industrial de Luanda (IPIL) as part of the ongoing third season of the ExxonMobil Jr. NBA League in Angola. The third consecutive season officially tipped off in May, continuing growth of one of the NBA’s most expansive youth basketball development programs in the country…

Dark transits, secondary rate contagion, and a revived Houthi blockade are converging to produce a shipping crisis that no single chokepoint map can capture. This content is locked Select a CN Premium Subscription Package To Unlock The Content! Remember Me Lost your password? Don't have an account? Register

Historic buildings became giant digital canvases as Burundi hosted Africa’s first-ever AFRICA ON MAPPING Festival. Combining video projections, dance, poetry and technology, the event transformed Bujumbura into a hub of immersive artistic expression.

The Crown Estate will launch a competitive tender process for the Morgan Offshore Wind Farm project in the Irish Sea in July, with the winner to be announced in late 2026. This tender revives one of the UK’s largest consented offshore wind opportunities after development activity on the project stalled earlier this year, creating a […]

Engineering consultants have been engaged to advance a development study for a potential battery-grade nickel refinery in the southeastern United States, as Electra Battery Materials Corporation evaluates the technical and commercial feasibility of expanding its critical minerals processing portfolio. The study will assess technical design requirements, capital intensity, operating parameters, and potential development pathways […]