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AfDBโ€™s record $673m Australian bond sale signals investor confidence

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.

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Ethiopia turns to telcos, banks and insurers to bolster disaster funding

Local media reports confirm a 5% levy on all mobile airtime and data purchases effective February 8 2026, with proceeds channelled into the stateโ€™s national disaster response fund.

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Oil-rich Libya lands $2.7bn port deal to deepen trade with Europe and Africa

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.

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Nigeria joins Ghana, Ethiopia, as December inflation eases to 15.5% after CPI overhaul

To avoid an artificial spike in December’s headline inflation, the NBS replaced the single-month reference point, set as December 2024 during last yearโ€™s rebasing, to a 12-month index reference period averaging all months of 2024.

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Tanzania holds rates at 5.75% to sustain economic momentum

The decision marks the bankโ€™s first monetary move of the year, and the second consecutive rate hold, following a cut in July 2025.

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Ghanaโ€™s inflation eases for 12 straight monthsย 

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.

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China deepens East Africa ties as global trade risks rise

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.

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Nigeria bets on AfCFTA to expand regional trade amid global tensions

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.

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Ethiopia signals debt progress with 15% haircut offer on $1bn defaulted bond

The haircut proposal marks a restart of negotiations that broke down last October and signals tentative progress in the East African nationโ€™s drawn-out debt restructuring process.

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Why Nigeria’s tax reforms are facing mounting scrutiny

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.

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Business confidence in Nigeria hits six-month high in Decemberย 

According to Stanbicโ€™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.

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Nigeriaโ€™s inflation seen easing to 12.9% in 2026 on food and fuel relief

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.

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Kenyaโ€™s largest lender secures $60m AfDB support to deepen regional trade

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.

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AfDB faces $12bn funding shortfall despite record donor round

While the replenishment outcome represents a 23% increase over the previous round, it fell well short of the AfDBโ€™s $25 billion target, highlighting challenges in sustaining concessional funding amid a tougher global climate.

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South Africaโ€™s inflation eases to 3.5% despite rising food prices

The slowdown in overall inflation in Africaโ€™s most industrialised nation mirrors a larger regional trend seen in other major economies in November including Nigeria and Ghana.

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Crypto schemes raise risks to state assets in Central African Republic

The warning comes weeks before the conflict-affected nation heads into a presidential election scheduled for December 28, with President Faustin-Archange Touadรฉra seeking a third term in office.

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Nigeriaโ€™s central bank ousts two mortgage lenders over capital breaches

The CBN pointed out that both mortgage lenders were critically undercapitalised and had insufficient assets to cover their liabilities, pointing to a weak solvency position.

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Nigeriaโ€™s inflation eases to 14.4% in November, lowest in five years

With the exception of a brief uptick in March, Nigeriaโ€™s inflation has trended downwards through most of 2025, pointing to easing price pressures and early signs of macroeconomic stabilisation.

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Africaโ€™s poorest nations risk $560m funding gap as US support wavers

The gap threatens the latest replenishment of the African Development Fund, the concessional financing arm of the AfDB, as donors gather in London this week for a two-day pledging conference aimed at raising $25 billion.

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Big Kenyan banks anchor loans on CBR despite earlier pushback

Equity Group and KCB, the countryโ€™s two biggest lenders, on Wednesday announced that all new Kenya-shilling loans issued from December 1 will now be priced using the revised CBR of 9%.

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