What does Nigeria’s Siemens power deal mean for businesses?
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What does Nigeria’s Siemens power deal mean for businesses?

ByEditorial

Six days out of every week, James Agbebi wakes up as early as 5am to prepare for work. 6.30 am. He opens twin door of his printing shop on Agunbiade Street in the heart of the Lagos’s printing hub at Shomolu and headed to a small cage, locked with a large padlock beside his shop….

Nigeria seeks approval for $5.5bn loan
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Nigeria seeks approval for $5.5bn loan

ByEditorial

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has approached the country’s House of Representatives to request approval for a new external borrowing amounting to $5.513bn. If approved, the loan would bring Nigerians’ external debt to $36.013. The country’s external debt as of December 2019, stood at $27.1bn while IMF had extended an emergency loan of $3.4bn to Nigeria…

Struggling SA Aviation Industry Pleads for Government Intervention
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Struggling SA Aviation Industry Pleads for Government Intervention

ByEditorial

With most airports closed and flights grounded for the past two months, South Africa’s aviation sector is teetering on the brink of collapse. The situation is so dire that a delegation representing the industry has called on the South African government to provide “specific financial relief” to the sector to help cushion the blow of…

COVID travel ban: Anger trails Nigeria’s slap-on-the-wrist penalty for a British airline
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COVID travel ban: Anger trails Nigeria’s slap-on-the-wrist penalty for a British airline

ByEditorial

An announcement that the Nigerian government has imposed a fine of about $2,500 on a British private charter plane, Flairjet, which contravened the flight ban imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country, has been greeted by mostly disbelief and anger. According to the Nigerian aviation minister Hadi Sirika, a Legacy 600 aircraft…

75% of Economy opened as SA moved to Level 3
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75% of Economy opened as SA moved to Level 3

ByEditorial

Many businesses will be heaving a sigh of relief following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday night, that from June 1st, the country will be moving to level three of its lockdown regulations. This means over 8 million people will return to work and industries such as manufacturing, mining, construction, media and government services which…

Nigeria loses $1.09bn oil revenue in Q1 2020
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Nigeria loses $1.09bn oil revenue in Q1 2020

ByEditorial

Oil revenue from Africa’s largest crude oil producer, Nigeria, shed $1.09bn in the first quarter of 2020, the country’s Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed has said. The minister explained during a presentation at the National Econiomic Council’s first virtual meeting, which was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, that the net…

Senegal: A West African Leader on the Rise
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Senegal: A West African Leader on the Rise

ByEditorial

Senegal has demonstrated strong ambition for economic development and rapid progress towards becoming an attractive investment destination (By Thomas Hedley, Field Editor) Although they are located 1,800Km from each other, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal vie for the place of the economic leader in West Africa, with a slight advantage for the former which, thanks to…

Nigeria’s struggling pharmaceutical industry amid COVID-19
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Nigeria’s struggling pharmaceutical industry amid COVID-19

ByEditorial

On March 21, the Nigerian Government announced a $9bn stimulus package to boost the economy against the impact of the coronavirus. Out of this, $257m is to serve as grants for major pharmaceutical companies in the country. It was the first major response from the government to the damage caused by the pandemic on the…

Nigerian conspiracy theorists force Gates Foundation to deny $10m bribery
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Nigerian conspiracy theorists force Gates Foundation to deny $10m bribery

ByEditorial

It started as conspiracy theory circulating on social media that billionaire tech mogul Bill Gates was behind a plan to hurriedly pass a controversial Infectious Disease Control Bill into law in the Nigerian parliament.  But when the spokesperson of one the political parties in Nigeria, Ikenga Ugochinyere issued a statement alleging that the leadership of the House of Representatives received the sum…

The Covid19 Pivot: Embracing The New Normal
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The Covid19 Pivot: Embracing The New Normal

ByEditorial

South Africa has been under lockdown for over 50 days now, it’s been so long that it almost feels normal. During this time, we’ve become experts at interpreting our fellow citizens’ muffled speech, which emanate from the ubiquitous and colorful masks found all around the country. The cold smell of hand sanitizer and terms like…

Coronavirus Impact: How a fast growing business is now battling to survive
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Coronavirus Impact: How a fast growing business is now battling to survive

ByEditorial

A month before the lockdown started Tshepo Mekoa’s logistics business was facing exponential growth. He had hired 16 employees, purchased 9 vehicles and was about to move his business into a new 3000 square metre warehouse – business was looking good. More than a month into lockdown, he’s had to lay off 40 workers, and those that remain have taken a 50 % pay cut – in an instant the company is now battling to survive.

Nigeria’s largest commercial city mulls end to lockdown
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Nigeria’s largest commercial city mulls end to lockdown

ByEditorial

The commercial nerve center of Nigeria, Lagos, is working towards reopening the city for business after two weeks of easing its lockdown. But considering that Lagos State is the epicenter of COVID-19 in the country with 2550 out of the total number of 5959 cases (May 17), is the city ready to fully resume commercial…

Is PPE scarcity in Nigerian hospitals causing death of non-coronavirus patients?

Is PPE scarcity in Nigerian hospitals causing death of non-coronavirus patients?

ByEditorial

It was around 11 am on Tuesday, April 21 when Mrs. Deborah Oluwadero was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria’s southwest region. Diabetic and hypertensive, she sometimes suffered from fluctuating blood glucose. According to her son, John, who himself is a pharmacist, on few days before his mother’s passing, her blood…

Is PPE scarcity in Nigerian hospitals causing death of non-coronavirus patients?
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Is PPE scarcity in Nigerian hospitals causing death of non-coronavirus patients?

ByEditorial

It was around 11 am on Tuesday, April 21 when Mrs. Deborah Oluwadero was rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria’s southwest region. Diabetic and hypertensive, she sometimes suffered from fluctuating blood glucose. According to her son, John, who himself is a pharmacist, on few days before his mother’s passing, her blood…

African Development Bank approves $13.7 million to strengthen the health system in Zimbabwe
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African Development Bank approves $13.7 million to strengthen the health system in Zimbabwe

ByEditorial

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a $13.7 million grant to finance the COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe. The funds will provide an immediate lifeline for targeted frontline responders and health personnel and boost the country’s Global Health Security Index in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.Approval for the grant was made on…