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The decision, reached at the conclusion of its 128th Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday, marks the fourth consecutive reduction, following faster-than-expected slowdown in inflationary pressures.
The move comes days after Afreximbank announced it had severed ties with Fitch, citing concerns that the agency’s methodology failed to reflect the bank’s legal mandate, treaty protections, and unique role in financing African trade and development.
The upgrade underpins expected progress on tax revenue collection and improved fiscal performance, alongside favorable terms of trade and export volumes supported by ongoing structural reforms backed by the IMF.
In 2024, the non-life insurer reported a capital base of about $2.8 million, leaving it with an estimated $7.3 million gap to close before the new thresholds take effect in July.
Analysts say transaction will serve as a litmus test of whether investors are willing to look past conflict risks and buy into the country’s long-term growth story
The Kangaroo bond, which matures in January 2031, carries a coupon of 4.6% and was priced at a margin of about 40 basis points over the Australian swap rate.
Local media reports confirm a 5% levy on all mobile airtime and data purchases effective February 8 2026, with proceeds channelled into the state’s national disaster response fund.
Officials expect the planned port expansion to significantly lift container-carrying capacity, generate operating revenues of around $500 million yearly and boost trade flows with key markets including the Middle East.
To avoid an artificial spike in December’s headline inflation, the NBS replaced the single-month reference point, set as December 2024 during last year’s rebasing, to a 12-month index reference period averaging all months of 2024.
The decision marks the bank’s first monetary move of the year, and the second consecutive rate hold, following a cut in July 2025.
The sustained slowdown marks a sharp turnaround for the West African nation, which was grappling with inflation of 23.8% as recently as December 2024 amid currency pressures.
The timing of China’s annual New Year tour coincides with worsening diplomatic relations between Africa and the US, underpinned by steep trade tariffs and foreign aid cuts.
The renewed push comes as global trade faces mounting uncertainty from protectionist policies by the US, reinforcing the need for African nations to deepen regional trade as a pathway to resilient growth.
The haircut proposal marks a restart of negotiations that broke down last October and signals tentative progress in the East African nation’s drawn-out debt restructuring process.
With businesses and households still recovering from recent aftershocks of elevated inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies, CPPE argues that full and simultaneous compliance across all sectors of the economy is unlikely.
According to Stanbic’s latest PMI survey, nearly 59% of respondents projected sustained improvement in business activity over the next 12 months, supported by plans to boost expansion spending and product exports.
The projection follows a sharp moderation in consumer prices in 2025, with headline inflation easing from 24.4% in January to 14.5% in November, reflecting a sharp turnaround from the highs of 2024.
With the AfDB providing full guarantee on non-payment risk, Equity Bank can lower the cost of issuing letters of credit and expand trade finance volumes without adding pressure to its balance sheet.
While the replenishment outcome represents a 23% increase over the previous round, it fell well short of the AfDB’s $25 billion target, highlighting challenges in sustaining concessional funding amid a tougher global climate.
The slowdown in overall inflation in Africa’s most industrialised nation mirrors a larger regional trend seen in other major economies in November including Nigeria and Ghana.