Africa Finance Headlines International

World Bank helps Gabon finance digital transformation project with $68.5m loan

Gabon has secured a credit facility of $68.5 million to finance “Projet Digital Gabon”, a digital transformation project aiming at creating an environment conducive to accelerating digital transformation. The deal was signed late December by Mays Mouissi, Gabon’s Minister of Economy, and the World Bank Country Director for the Central African country, Cheick Fantamady Kanté, […]

Business Finance

Africa fueled with optimism with prospect of US interest rate cut in 2024

Emerging and frontier markets in Africa now have a reason for cautious optimism in 2024 following a recent announcement by The Federal Reserve (Fed) signaling possible cuts of up to 75 basis points in the coming year. New forecasts from central bank officials showed a turn from the hawkish rate environment Fed Chairman Jerome Powell […]

Africa Emerging Markets Finance Headlines International

Africa faces looming ‘debt crisis’ and ‘lost decade’, warns World Bank

Developing countries are on a “path to debt crisis” and another “lost decade”, World Bank warns in its latest annual publication, unless African and other debtor governments, private and official creditors and multilateral financial institutions agree on a quick and coordinated action to secure more support from the creditors. The 50th edition of the ‘International […]

Business Finance Headlines

World Bank resumes cooperation with Gabon after military coup

The World Bank has resumed cooperation with Gabon several months after freezing all financing projects in the central African country in a reaction to the military coup of August 30 following an electoral process deemed rigged by the military. The Washington-based lender, local media ‘Gabon Review’ reports, notified the ministry of Finance and Economy in […]

Finance Headlines Mauritania

World Bank, Mauritania ink soft loan agreements worth $85m to finance multiple projects

Mauritania and World Bank signed Monday in Nouakchott two soft loan agreements worth $85 million for the financing of two projects. The first deal is about additional funding for the project to support decentralization and the development of intermediate towns (Moudoun Project), to the tune of $25 million. The project seeks to improve access to […]

Africa Business Emerging Markets Europe Headlines International

AU chief calls for ‘positive competition’ from Europe in bid to counter China’s growing clout

As African leaders converged on Germany’s capital earlier this week to attend the G20 ‘Compact for Africa’ meeting, the African Union (AU) chief called for “positive competition” from Europe in the continent, which would be more welcome than its criticism of Chinese investments for saddling poor countries with huge debts. While addressing the high-level meeting […]

Business Finance Headlines International Morocco

Moroccan central bank invests in World Bank green bond

Morocco’s central bank purchased 200 million euros of sustainable bonds from the World Bank as Morocco hosts the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Marrakech. The EUR 100 million 3-year and EUR 100 million 5-year Sustainable Development Bond transactions will support the financing of the World Bank’s sustainable development activities, the […]

Africa Headlines International

Sub-Saharan Africa faces ‘lost decade’, its growth weighed down by continent’s heavyweights — World Bank

Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to decelerate this year by slumps in economic powerhouses South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, the World Bank has announced, expressing fears of a lost decade for the continent, faced with growing instability. For the current year, growth should reach 2.5%, compared with 3.6% last year, due in particular […]

Africa Business Emerging Markets Headlines International

AfCFTA to boost remittances by making cross-border transactions cheaper

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has potential to increase cross-border remittances by migrants, according to a new report by World Bank, even as international markets remain the largest sources. The AfCFTA has the potential to make cross-border transactions such as remittance transfers by migrants within Africa cheaper through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement […]

Energy Headlines

Mali’s Yara Oil in talks with IFC for €20.7m loan

Mali’s leading energy supplier and distributor “Yara Oil” is in advanced talks with the World Bank’s private sector financer, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), for a loan of €20.7 million earmarked to finance its domestic expansion plan, “Sika Finance” reports. Per the expansion plan, the company founded in 1983, will start 10 new distribution stations […]