African markets and business updates

Credit extended by Nigerian banks to the manufacturing sector fell by 26.8% year-on-year to N5.19 trillion in June 2026, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), highlighting a decline in lending to manufacturers amid persistent operating challenges.

Algeria plans to invest $71.6 billion in upstream hydrocarbons, refining and petrochemicals by 2030 to meet rising domestic demand and preserve export volumes. The country aims to increase primary hydrocarbon production to about 201 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2030, from 193 million tonnes ...

CEVA Logistics has announced the integration of Colis Privé and PAACK under a single brand, strengthening its last-mile delivery services across Europe. The combined business will operate under the PAACK name and serve five countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal. Together, the two networks handle approximately 150 million parcels each year and operate more […] CEVA Logistics has announced the integration of Colis Privé and PAACK under a single brand, strengthening its last-mile delivery services across Europe. The combined business will operate under the PAACK name and serve five countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal.…

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief For decades, unreliable electricity supply has undermined Nigeria’s industrial growth, forcing businesses to close, driving up production costs and making life increasingly difficult for households. From textile mills in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Onitsha to vehicle assembly plants, tyre factories and footwear manufacturers, several once-thriving industries have struggled or […] By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief For decades, unreliable electricity supply has undermined Nigeria’s industrial growth, forcing businesses to close, driving up production costs and making life increasingly difficult for households.…

With the Federal Government’s debts to power generation companies hitting the N6 trillion mark at the end of 2025, the government has gone to the bond market to raise funds to make up for its inability to fund electricity subsidies from the national budget. NERC, in its 2025 industry report, put the Federal Government’s gross […] With the Federal Government’s debts to power generation companies hitting the N6 trillion mark at the end of 2025, the government has gone to the bond market to raise funds to make up for its inability to fund electricity subsidies from the national budget.…

Supply grows by 4.8% Available plant capacity falls by 41% 13 years of privatisation yield little results FG turns to bonds to tackle N6trn debt Power supply has improved, Power Minister insists Consumers, experts react Revenue collected by Nigeria’s electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) rose by about 450 per cent in eight years, from N218.16 billion […] Supply grows by 4.8% Available plant capacity falls by 41% 13 years of privatisation yield little results FG turns to bonds to tackle N6trn debt Power supply has improved, Power Minister insists Consumers, experts react Revenue collected by Nigeria’s electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) rose by about 450 per cent in eight years, from N218.16 billion in the first half of 2018 to N1.2 trillion in the corresponding period of 2026, far outpacing growth in electricity supply over the period.…

The Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX dropped further Week-on-Week, WoW, amid selling pressure across sectors despite the fourth consecutive month of decline in headline inflation rate for the month of September 2026. Specifically, the NGX market capitalisation, which represents the total value of equities listed on the Exchange, dropped to N260.725 trillion last Friday from N161.260 […] The Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX dropped further Week-on-Week, WoW, amid selling pressure across sectors despite the fourth consecutive month of decline in headline inflation rate for the month of September 2026.…

Freightos reported record booking value and higher transaction volumes in the third quarter of 2026, with both measures exceeding management expectations. The digital freight booking platform handled approximately 494,000 transactions during the quarter, up 15% from a year earlier. This was above the company’s forecast of 481,000 to 490,000 transactions. Gross Booking Value (GBV) reached […] Freightos reported record booking value and higher transaction volumes in the third quarter of 2026, with both measures exceeding management expectations. The digital freight booking platform handled approximately 494,000 transactions during the quarter, up 15% from a year earlier.…

Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement to expand travel options between China and Africa, allowing passengers to access more destinations through connecting flights on both networks. Round-trip passenger traffic between China and Africa rose 36% to 2.93 million in 2025, but ...

The Port of Rotterdam recorded a 0.9% increase in total cargo throughput during the first nine months of 2026, reaching 323.2 million tonnes. Container throughput remained largely stable, rising by 0.1% in TEU compared with the same period last year. However, container volumes measured in tonnes declined by 2.2%. The figures also showed a sharp […] The Port of Rotterdam recorded a 0.9% increase in total cargo throughput during the first nine months of 2026, reaching 323.2 million tonnes. Container throughput remained largely stable, rising by 0.1% in TEU compared with the same period last year. However, container volumes measured in tonnes declined by 2.2%.…