African News
Interswitch Group, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing a seamless and inclusive financial ecosystem across the African continent by advocating for a trust-driven infrastructure that will boost Africa’s cross-border payment. The company made the call during its recently concluded Inclusive Fintech Forum 2026, which held at the Kigali Convention Centre, in Rwanda. Speaking during the…
When Idoko, a 23-year-old man living in rural Benue State, north central Nigeria, began hearing voices, withdrawing from family and speaking incoherently, his family’s first call was not to a psychiatrist. They took him to a local faith-based prayer group, where members pray over people believed to be afflicted by spiritual forces. When he showed…
Bank of Africa Niger reported a 92% drop in net profit for 2025, according to a statement from its board dated 20 February 2026. The bank said the decline reflects pressure across Niger’s banking sector as lending activity slowed and asset quality weakened. Industry data show total credit in the country fell 4.1% in 2025,…
The US-Israel strikes on Iran have launched one of the most dramatic conflicts in the Middle East in living memory. Aside from military targets, Iranian forces have attacked commercial shipping and infrastructure in the region. The objective is simple: to disrupt oil exports and weaken its opponents’ economies. While the oil market is perfectly capable…
Accra — After nearly three decades of active engagement with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), I recently informed my distinguished Co-Chair of the AGOA Alliance, The Hon. Chris Stewart, the Alliance’s hardworking Secretariat — Tim Stewart of The Bennett Consulting Group and James Link of The Cormac Group — and my remarkable team…
As oil prices soared to more than $100 a barrel this week, what will the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East be for African countries? Which sectors are most at risk? RFI spoke to Guinea-Bissau economist Carlos Lopes, former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and now a…
Donald Trump matters a lot to Mzansi and the rest of the world right now. Trump is changing the way America works – and how the world’s most powerful country deals with the rest of the world. We’ll track what he does and connect the dots to your daily life. US launches trade investigation into…
Africa’s sovereign credit outlook is improving as economic growth stabilizes and fiscal reforms take hold across several countries, according to recent sovereign rating assessments. S&P Global Ratings shows African sovereign ratings at their highest level since 2020. The improvement comes as some governments reduce fiscal deficits and strengthen foreign reserves. The outlook improves after several…
Prembly, a Nigeria-based digital security and identity verification company, launched FraudLens, an open-source fraud intelligence platform designed to help financial institutions and digital businesses detect and prevent fraud. The platform aggregates fraud data from identity verification checks and reported incidents across businesses that use Prembly’s technology. FraudLens begins with data from Nigeria and aims to…
Fintech remained the largest recipient of startup investment in Africa in early 2026, but funding data shows investors expanding into logistics, transport and energy. African startups raised $575 million across 58 deals between January and February 2026, according to TechCabal. In January, fintech companies led funding activity with $131.6 million raised. Major funding rounds from…
