African business news summarised in English: companies, finance, energy, agriculture, trade and infrastructure, from the local press. 391 articles published.
Jorge Maurício, president of the Barlavento Chamber of Commerce, is calling on Cape Verdean authorities to provide greater support for aquaculture, presented as a means of diversifying the economy, reducing imports and creating jobs. He made the call at the opening of an international conference in São Vicente, on the sidelines of Expomar, according to Expresso das Ilhas.
Senegal’s 2026 Food Insecurity Response Programme is mobilising 2,322,014,700 CFA francs to help 17,200 vulnerable households in five departments. Each household will receive a one-off transfer of 135,000 CFA francs during the lean season, with support from the World Bank, according to Dakaractu.
Libya’s Central Bank is withholding the approved budgets of the National Oil Corporation, which says it transferred $1.23 billion by 13 October 2026. The block jeopardises payments owed to international oil services companies, production and maintenance projects, the Libya Herald reports.
Lagos authorities plan three days of diversions on Independence Bridge to allow its asphalt surface to be repaired. The Federal Ministry of Works project is scheduled for 16 to 18 October 2026, with one lane kept open and LASTMA officials deployed, according to the Lagos State Government.
Consumer prices in Senegal rose by 1.1% in September 2026, with food prices up 2% and electricity up 3.8%. Fuel prices increased by 4.4% following a price adjustment, according to the National Agency of Statistics and Demography.
FNB Lesotho has launched funeral insurance covering up to 21 family members, with a maximum benefit of 100,000 maloti. Unveiled in Maseru, the product offers premiums starting at 1.63 maloti a day, in partnership with LNIG Hollard, Lestimes reports.
Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane has urged ministries to pay public works contractors on time after they complete projects. At the opening of a construction and infrastructure exhibition in Maseru, he said payment delays weaken businesses and hamper projects, Lestimes reports.
Algeria and South Africa have adopted a monitoring method with quantified deadlines to implement decisions made by their bilateral commission. Ministers Ahmed Attaf and Ronald Lamola are also preparing an eighth session in Pretoria, under the chairmanship of both heads of state, according to the joint statement.
Angola’s unemployment rate fell to 21.3% in the first quarter of 2026, from 31.5% in 2024, President João Lourenço announced. Youth unemployment nevertheless stands at 40.7%, and the country had 2,593,206 unemployed people aged 15 or over during the period, according to data presented by the head of state and the National Institute of Statistics.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says no electricity tariff increase is planned as an interconnected 17.7 MW mini-grid is launched in Oyo State. The project is expected to supply several communities in the Akinyele, Ido, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Lagelu areas, according to the Nigerian Ministry of Power.
Former Nigerian lawmaker Taiwo Kolawole says Lagos’s growth is due to the city’s appeal, with services and infrastructure creating a sense that “things work”. The population is estimated to have risen from about six million in 1999 to nearly 20 million today, according to his remarks on Vanguard’s Politics Hub programme.
The General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises and Belgian agency Enabel are launching a mentoring programme for 100 project leaders and entrepreneurs in the Oriental region. Up to 40% of participants and at least 30% of mentors will be women, according to Lavieeco.
Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said monetary and foreign exchange market reforms were making the country more resilient to economic shocks and encouraging investment. He spoke during a debate at the IMF annual meetings in Bangkok on the resilience of the global economy, BusinessDay reported.
BMMI Group has recommended extending the first phase of the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone, which currently covers 240 hectares, to accommodate more companies. During a meeting with Aboubaker Omar Hadi, president of the Ports and Free Zones Authority, the group also praised Djibouti’s logistics infrastructure, according to the Djibouti News Agency (ADI).
Isuzu Motors South Africa spent nearly 400,000 rand on diesel in one day to keep its factory running during a 15-hour outage in Gqeberha. The Nelson Mandela Bay Chamber of Commerce recorded 109 unexpected outages in major industrial areas between January 2025 and October 2026, Daily Maverick reports.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts 4.5% growth for African economies in 2026, followed by 5% in 2027. The institution warns, however, that external aid to the continent is expected to fall by a further 12% this year, weakening funding for health, education and humanitarian assistance.
Moïse Mafongoun has been appointed executive director of the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Togo, according to Togofirst. The page covering the appointment is mixed with content about reforms to Togo’s business climate and gives no further details about when he will take up the post.
AGB2A-GIC says it has taken note of a statement from the Special Prosecutor's Office at CRIEF dated 8 October 2026, which implicates its chief executive, Ahmed Kanté. It says it respects the justice system and is fully cooperating with investigators, according to its statement.
