African nations struggling with mounting international debt are about to get a lifeline. The African Development Bank’s new refinancing facility isn’t just another bureaucratic solution – it’s potentially a financial game-changer for the continent. The initiative, dubbed The African Financial Stability Mechanism, stands ready for launch after clearing its final hurdles. All that’s needed now […]
Emerging Markets
Historic split rocks West African Economic Bloc as three nations exit
West Africa’s political landscape shifted dramatically Wednesday as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso officially walked away from ECOWAS, marking the first exodus in the bloc’s nearly 50-year history. The move sent shockwaves through a region already grappling with political instability and security challenges. ECOWAS, long considered West Africa’s premier political and economic powerhouse, now faces […]
UNWTO sets up in Morocco UN Tourism Thematic Office for Africa
UN World Tourism Organization has chosen Morocco’s capital city of Rabat for establishing its Thematic Office on Innovation for Africa. The move is an international recognition of the Kingdom’s role as a key partner in supporting tourism growth across the continent. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and Moroccan tourism minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor signed on Tuesday Host […]
U.S. maritime policy shift creates strategic advantage for Moroccan ports
A significant shift in U.S. maritime regulations has positioned Morocco as a key beneficiary in global shipping routes, reports Les Inspirations Eco in its January 29 edition. The Federal Maritime Commission’s recent decision requiring specific shipping companies to route through Moroccan ports has created unprecedented opportunities for the Kingdom’s maritime infrastructure, particularly the Tanger Med […]
ECOWAS-AES face-off reshapes trade routes in fragmented West Africa
As the three junta-led Sahel countries are to officially quit the regional grouping ECOWAS on Wednesday (29 January), the years of growing political tensions and deteriorating relations with their neighbors have shaken up trade routes across the West African region. The looming withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West […]
Ghana: A gold board to boost earnings, struggle against smuggling
Ghana is set to establish a Gold Board to better regulate gold purchases from small-scale miners, aiming to increase national earnings and reduce smuggling, Reuters reported. The initiative, announced by the newly appointed Finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, is designed to help the country, Africa’s leading gold producer, optimize the benefits from its gold exports […]
UN, AfDB reports carefully optimistic about Africa’s 2025 economic outlook, despite headwinds
This year, Africa is poised for modest economic growth, with recovery driven by the continent’s major economies, says a new UN report, with the AfDB projecting an annual growth rate of 4.3%, up from 3.7% last year. Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa are expected to spur economic growth on the continent in 2025, according to […]
Historic Gibraltar tunnel project moves forward with groundbreaking engineering study
A landmark underwater rail tunnel project connecting two continents has entered a crucial new phase as engineering feasibility studies commence, marking a historic step in Mediterranean infrastructure development. The ambitious infrastructure project, which will link Morocco and Spain through the Strait of Gibraltar, has selected a world-leading tunneling technology firm, Herrenknecht Iberica, to conduct the […]
Morocco to set up new gas power plant worth $415 million
Morocco plans a gas power plant near Al Wahda dam with a total capacity of 990 megawatts and for a cost of 415 million dollars. State-owned water and electricity utility will offer 20% of the funding while the rest will come from securitization and bank loans, Le Matin daily reported, citing an official financial document. […]
Morocco’s tomatoes production up 17% in 2014-2023
Morocco’s production of tomatoes grew by 17% between 2014 and 2023, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said. Production increased from 1.23 million tons a decade earlier to 1.44 in 2023, it said, noting a drop in some main markets. The EU expects Morocco to remain its main tomato supplier until 2035, due to […]