AGC Nigeria, a health care innovation startup, on Monday was named Startup of the Year at the Nigeriacom Entrepreneurs Hug held in Lagos, Nigeria. AGC Nigeria, a startup from Obafemi Awolowo University, was one of the scores of startups that vied for the critically acclaimed Pitch & Win event organized by Informa UK in collaboration with Wennovation Hub and Disrupt Africa. Read More »

U.S. Ambassador Robert Whitehead and Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Robert Dussey last week signed a bilateral Open Skies agreement, allowing any Togolese airline and any U.S. airline to fly to and from any points in Togo and the United States. The negotiations between the United States and Togo for the air transport agreement started in 2012. Read More »

Mauritania and China recently agreed to enhance their fishery activities, while also combating illegal, unreported and uncontrolled fishing activities, and upgrading outdated fishing vessels off the coast of western North Africa. Of all African nations, Mauritania has been the longest to conduct fisheries cooperation with China and hosts the most Chinese fishing boats. Read More »

Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti made an investment agreement to reform and redevelop AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi gold mine in Ghana. The high-grade gold deposit at Obuasi has proven ore reserves. As part of the deal, Randgold will lead and fund a development plan to rebuild Obuasi as a viable long-life mining business with an attractive cost-structure and returns. Read More »

The Africa Islamic Finance Forum 2015 recently wrapped up its inaugural two-day event in the Ivory Coast. The two-day forum aimed to stimulate national and international market players to explore development opportunities in Islamic finance in African markets. Participants engaged on discussions on how to capitalize investment opportunities in strategic African markets. Read More »

Telecom services in Mali are forecast to generate $789 billion in revenue this year, according to a report posted by Hexa Research, Inc. on Sept. 22. Mobile voice will be the major contributor for revenue in the mobile service industry, and the growing adoption and usage of low-cost smartphones and value-added services will drive mobile data growth. Read More »

A group from the International Monetary Fund visited Dakar, Senegal earlier this month to discuss a three-year agreement under the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) approved in June. The PSI is a flexible tool allowing low-income countries that do not want -- or need -- financial assistance to still receive the IMF's advice and support without a borrowing arrangement.  Read More »

Digital payment and commerce provider Interswitch has announced a corporate rebrand to reflect its leading market position and continuing ambition to increase its delivery of world-class service across the African continent. The new bold-but-simple design captures the Interswitch brand’s personality, drive and values of integrity and trust, according to the company Read More »

East View Geospatial recently acquired the rights to sell Senegal’s nationally produced maps and data across the globe in digital and hard copy formats. The partnership covers a catalog of 687 products including topographic maps, digital elevation models, GIS/Vector data, nautical and aeronautical charts and geological and scientific maps in a variety of formats and scales. Read More »

Victor Boacharie Foh, vice president of the Republic of Sierra Leone, today concluded a six-day visit to Liberia where he was the guest speaker at the Cuttington University commencement convocation. Accompanying Foh was a 12-member delegation that included his wive, Jonta Memunatu Foh;  the Minister of Youth Alimamy Kamara; and Jengo Stevens, adviser to the vice president. Read More »

Rachid Benmessaoud has been named country director for Nigeria and coordinating director for the West Africa Regional Integration Program at The World Bank. Benmessaoud has been with World Bank since 1990, when he came on as an energy planner. The Morocco native has held various jobs with the company including operations adviser for India and country director for Pakistan. Read More »

The African Islamic Finance Forum 2015, giving potential investors an opportunity to explore development opportunities in Islamic finance in the Ivory Coast, was held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire. The two-day event featured discussions about key African markets. The first day included a global overview of Shariah-compliant transactions and the industry as a whole. Read More »

Teranga Gold Corp. President and CEO Richard Young updated the company's third-quarter operating results and strategic growth initiatives during a presentation at the Denver Gold Forum on Tuesday. Teranga Gold, a Canadian-based gold company involved in the production and sale of gold, also is involved in exploration and mine development in Senegal. Read More »

Endeavour Mining Corp. announced that it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with La Mancha Holding, SARL, a privately held gold investment company controlled by the Sawiris Family. As part of the transaction, Endeavour will acquire La Mancha’s indirect 55 percent interest in Societe des Mines d’Ity, S.A., which operates the Ity Gold Mine in Ivory Coast. Read More »

Phase3 Telecom said its goal is to strengthen its commitment to offering the best solutions that will amplify the operations of clients across West Africa. Phase3 Telecom, West Africa’s largest independent fiber optic infrastructure and telecommunications services provider, recently started deploying an aerial fiber optic infrastructure from Kano in Nigeria to Gazaoua in Niger. Read More »

The Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation approved a $256.7 million U.S. grant to Liberia under the Millennium Challenge Compact program. The grant will fund projects in electricity, road maintenance, reforms and capacity building. Liberia said the grant will have a significant impact on Liberians through poverty reduction, job creation and economic growth. Read More »

Kinross Gold announced the release of its updated 2015 full-year guidance that features the firm’s all-in sustaining cost, cost of sales, capital expenditures, production and overhead. Kinross Gold also announced that it is exploring opportunities to further reduce overhead. Kinross Gold has mines and projects in Ghana and Mauritania as well as the U.S, Brazil and Russia. Read More »

Etty Ekolan Alain won the the top prize for its project Ivoire Hydro Energy at the second edition of West Africa Forum for Clean Energy Financing. Based in Ivory Coast, Ivoire Hydro Energy is an start-up that aims to design, construct and operate a 44-megawatt hydro power plant on the country’s Bandama River under a concession agreement signed with the government. Read More »

Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai stressed his confidence in Liberia's recovery from the consequences of Ebola virus crisis and a return to positive economic growth of $3.8 million. The speech was made during the U.S.-Liberia Trade and Investment Forum. The effects of the Ebola virus, which killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa, was one of the main topics discussed. Read More »

APR Energy, a global fast-track power solutions company, recently announced that it has completed the installation and commissioning of its new two-year, 35-megawatt project for Botswana Power Corp. (BPC) and the 48-megawatt expansion of its existing project for Senelec, Senegal's national electric utility. The project builds on a relationship that began in 2010. Read More »