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 »

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 »

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their fishery activities, while also combating illegal, unreported and uncontrolled fishing activities, and upgrading outdated fishing vessels off the coast of western North Africa.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 »

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 »

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 »

Elenilto was chosen by the Togolese government to develop a $1.4 billion phosphate mining and fertilizer plant project in West Africa. Controlled by Isreali billionaire Jacob Engel, Elenilto is cooperating with Wengfu as its strategic partner. Wengfu is one of the leading international phosphate and fertilizer groups with vast experience in the industry in China and globally. Read More »

Ghana recently was elected to serve on the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) during the 21st session of its General Assembly, which met in Medellin, Colombia this month. The General Assembly is considered the most important global meeting of tourism ministers, senior tourism officials and high-level private sector representatives. Read More »

The first edition of the new vegetarian magazine, Health Africa, was released this month in the Ghana market to spread information and positive feelings about vegetarianism. The magazine, which is written in both English and French, seeks to demystify individual perception and misconception about vegetarianism using a plant-based diet. The magazine is an 80-page publication. Read More »

While hydropower has been the main source of electricity for Ghana, the urbanization of the country has led to the demand for better power options. New thermal and solar power plants are coming to Ghana after the demand finally gained massive investments in other sources of power from the country’s government. More than 1,800 megwatts from five emergent barges are expected soon. Read More »

Independent gas and oil explorer FAR, Ltd. announced Sept. 24 it has entered into a farm in option agreement with a subsidiary of Trace Atlantic Oil, Ltd. for the Djiffere block offshore Senegal. The Djiffere block is adjacent to FAR’s prospective Rufisque, Sangomar and Sangomar Deep (RSSD) blocks that contain significant SNE-1 and FAN-1 oil discoveries. Read More »

Sage West Africa recently said that a hard-line attitude to noncompliance by Nigerian federal and state tax authorities means that companies must get all their processes and paperwork in order to avoid tax troubles in the months to come. Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service announced in August it would crack down on tax evaders by conducting increased audits of companies. Read More »

Canadian Overseas Petroleum, Ltd (COPL) provided a positive update on its activities in offshore Liberia on Sept. 23.  COPL said its project which is mainly exploring the deep water Block LB-13 is on schedule for a well to be drilled in late 2016 in the 2nd Exploration Phase, with the primary goal of proving a commercial quantity of hydrocarbons in the Cretaceous Santonian-age reservoirs. Read More »

AMI began operating a Beechcraft Corporation 1900C from James Spriggs Payne Airport in Monrovia, Liberia. The turboprop will provide general aviation and aero-medical evacuation services to West Africa, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. It is able to support critical patients using advanced life support equipment. Read More »

The United States Trade and Development Agency today awarded Senegal Minergy Port a grant to design, finance and build a new multi-commodity port in Bargny-Sendou. USTDA’s grant will fund a feasibility study to provide SMP with a proposed design, terminal layout and operational plan for the port. The study will also assess the port’s environmental and social impact. Read More »

Bharti Airtel will use Liquid Telecom terrestrial fiber network to connect mobile base stations and enterprises, giving its mobile broadband subscribers in Africa faster Internet access speeds on its 3G and 4G networks. Airtel will leverage Liquid Telecom’s existing 12,427-mile-long fiber network across East, Central and Southern Africa, as well as employ new infrastructure. Read More »

On Friday, Heineken and CFAO announced the formation of a joint business venture in Ivory Coast under the name of Brassivoire to produce and market beer in the country. The two partners will invest around $168 million, and the brewery will have a capacity of 1.6 million hectolitres per year. The site will brew Heineken and other brands for the domestic market. Read More »

TAOL Senegal Ltd., in which Cap Energy PLC holds a 49 percent participation through the fully owned subsidiary Sencap, has entered into a farm-out option agreement with FAR Ltd. for the Djiffere block offshore Senegal. The western part of the Djiffere Block is located along geological trend with the shelf play types identified in the eastern part of FAR's RSSD blocks. Read More »

Luxembourg-based gold producer La Mancha has announced it is combining its Côte d’Ivoire assets with Endeavour Mining to create a leading gold company in Africa. Read More »

RESOLVE President and CEO Stephen D’Esposito joined Chelsea Clinton and other leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York on Sept. 27 to announce a new CGI Commitment to Action, “ReGrow West Africa: Post-Ebola Private Sector Recovery.” ReGrow West Africa was selected for its “exemplary approach to addressing a critical challenge.” Read More »

Media and content group Vivendi announced plans to open 10 live-performance venues in Central and West Africa under the name CanalOlympia. The first CanalOlympia halls will be in Conakry in Guinea, Cotonou in Benin, Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and Dakar in Senegal. CanalOlympia halls will offer artists a chance to perform and will create a network of venues where tours can be organized. Read More »