The International Finance Corporation released a report Tuesday in collaboration with the Africa CEO Forum that details financing opportunities in Africa. The report found that commercial options are numerous due to a change in consumption patterns, increase in incomes, age and size of the population and the high speed of urbanization and increase in Internet connectivity. Read More »

At the GPSC, recently held during Singapore Urban Week, leaders from 11 countries came together to create a sustainability program for countries to receive funding of $1.5 billion from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). The World Bank was the coordinator of the event, which was further supported by developmental banks, UN organizations and think tanks. Read More »

U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Myron Brilliant led a delegation to West Africa March 11. During the visit, Brilliant and U.S.-Africa Business Center President Scott Eisner traveled to Senegal, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire, where discussions concerning bilateral trade, job creation and economic growth took place. They also spoke to government officials and private entities. Read More »

IMF Africa Assistant Head Dan Ghura headed a team to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to discuss the 2016 Article IV consultation with officials. Ghura delivered a statement concerning the economic changes of 2015, budgeting legislation and the National Development Plan for 2016. According to Ghura, the estimated GDP growth of the Cote d'Ivoire was at 8.6 percent in 2015. Read More »

USAID recently indicated how it will use the $22.7 billion allocated to the organization. President Barack Obama's Fiscal Year 2017 Budget gives $11 billion to USAID-managed accounts that addresses transition initiatives, international disaster assistance and crises funds; $1.7 billion to ensure the progress of current operations; and $195.5 million for the global development lab. Read More »

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed a sixth and seventh review of Guinea’s economic performance as part of the ECF arrangement and has agreed to disburse $25.6 million immediately in aid. The current aid comes as part of a total $216.7 million given in the ECF arrangement, which the board agreed to extend until the end of October. Read More »

Accenture Customer Credit Solutions has been created by Accenture to help businesses digitize credit services in Africa. Accenture has been providing services to more than 40 industries in 120 countries and is now hoping to create a more simple and faster credit provision process for African customers. Edcon Holding Limited is Accenture Customer Credit Solutions' very first client. Read More »

In a recent visit to the country of Chad, Mitsuhiro Furusawa of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed a number of subjects with policymakers and stakeholders. Furusawa stated that even though there are challenges facing the country, the IMF was ready to assist where it was able. During his visit, Furusawa met with President Deby Itno and important representatives. Read More »

The U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration announced a funding opportunity for NGO programs in Cote d’Ivoire that benefit Ivoirian refugee returnees. The qualifying NGOs should target a beneficiary base of at least 50 percent of refugee returnees and focus on a sector related to either livelihood, protection, shelter or social cohesion and community reconciliation. Read More »

Mitsuhiro Furusawa discussed his visit and meeting with President Alassane Dramane Ouattara. Furusawa praised the country's increase in pro-poor spending and its changes in the distribution of cocoa and coffee revenue in order to change farmers' stakes. However, Furusawa noted that there were still high numbers of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the nation. Read More »

To address the economic consequences of plummeting oil prices, Gene Leon led an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team on visits to Abuja, Nigeria, Dec. 14 to Dec. 17 and Lagos Jan. 10 to Jan. 25. The visits were part of a required 2016 Article IV consultation. Leon said the Central Bank of Nigeria, in an effort to protect reserves, had implemented foreign exchange restrictions. Read More »

To ease the strain on Burkina Faso, officials recently urged its food producers to take advantage of the World Bank's Agricultural Productivity and Food Security Project, a matching grant program. The match from farmers can be made through land preparation and other community services. The World Bank is encouraging women in particular to make use of the program. Read More »

To increase awareness about the World Bank's services, the bank's vice president for the African region, Makhtar Diop, traveled to Burkina Faso Monday. Burkina Faso has been a member of the World Bank Group since 1963. Presently, there are 16 national projects underway in the nation sponsored by the World Bank. These projects carry a total investment of about $1,047.69 million. Read More »

A recent conference hosted by the government of Ghana, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development in Accra, Ghana, saw macroeconomic policymakers from more than 40 African nations gather. The conference was also attended by officials from educational and financial institutions and a variety of international organizations. Read More »

Officials from U.S. government agencies, African governments and private companies gathered in Washington, D.C., Thursday for the Powering Africa Summit. Read More »

Gayle Smith, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator, will head the U.S. delegation attending the 26th Annual African Union (AU) Summit. The purpose of the summit is to bring together representatives of local economic communities, senior government officials, the private sector, civil society organizations, invited dignitaries and international media. Read More »

IMF Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu landed in Botswana Monday to attend regional conferences. While in Botswana, Zhu will deliver a keynote speech at a conference in Gaborone focused on the challenges small- and- middle-income countries are facing in sub-Saharan Africa. Zhu will meet with President Ian Khama and officials. Zhu will also deliver a keynote speech in Ghana. Read More »

President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) launched a mission to gather facts on commercial opportunities and challenges in Nigeria and Rwanda. Members of the council, which is chaired by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, are traveling to the African countries to enhance economic engagement between the United States and Africa. Read More »

Looking to develop accelerated growth in high-potential and emerging markets, telecom group Orange sought legal advice from Dechert LLP on purchasing all shares of Airtel's subsidiaries in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso recently. Read More »

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed its second review of Ghana’s economic status Thursday, distributing approximately $114.6 million to the West African nation. The country currently has a three-year arrangement with the IMF under the ECF, totaling approximately $918 million, to enable Ghana to achieve national economic stability and facilitate growth. Read More »