Author: Victor Olayiwola

Africa’s most intense Black Friday story isn’t happening in a neon-lit mall or through a frantic midnight stampede—it’s unfolding inside a sprawling warehouse on the outskirts of Lagos. In Isolo, Jumia’s massive 30,000-square-meter fulfillment hub has evolved into the central engine powering one of the continent’s biggest shopping moments. Entering the warehouse feels like stepping into a self-contained universe where every corner hums with activity. The space is a coordinated storm of movement—workers in bright vests weaving between towering stacks of home appliances, food supplies, and consumer electronics. Teams operate around the clock, supported by refueling breaks in the canteen,…

Several prominent West African political figures have openly questioned the legitimacy of the recent political upheaval in Guinea-Bissau, with both Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan suggesting that the supposed coup against President Umaro Sissoco Embaló may have been orchestrated rather than genuine. Their remarks follow a dramatic chain of events in which Embaló was reportedly removed from office by the military just one day before election results were scheduled to be announced. The military has since halted the electoral process entirely, refusing to release the tally while claiming it intervened to prevent an alleged…

Dubai, UAE — Dubai Business Events (DBE), the official convention bureau under the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), has wrapped up a highly successful participation at IBTM World 2025 in Barcelona, further cementing the emirate’s status as one of the foremost international destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). This year’s showcase highlighted Dubai’s rapidly expanding business-events pipeline, continued global recognition, and strong alignment with the ambitious Dubai Economic Agenda D33. DBE was accompanied by a robust delegation of 32 industry partners, including major hotels, event venues, destination management companies, event planners, and leading organizations such as…

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, much attention is given to recruiting top talent and designing strong onboarding experiences. Many Nigerian companies invest heavily in employer branding, recruitment pipelines, and orientation systems. Yet when employees eventually leave, the same level of care and strategy is rarely applied. In several African organisations, offboarding still feels more like a checklist than a thoughtful process. Offboarding — the last step of the employee lifecycle — often gets overlooked, even though it can have a significant impact on culture, reputation, and future talent attraction. While most organisations focus on basics such as retrieving company devices,…

Motorcades glided along Luanda’s neon waterfront at dusk — past idle cargo cranes and half-built skyscrapers — before reaching the concrete pavilion perched above the bay that hosted the 7th African Union–European Union Summit. Inside, beneath banners promising “effective multilateralism,” dozens of African and European leaders gathered to rethink one of the continent’s most strategically important partnerships. What emerged from the summit was more than a typical communiqué. For the first time, Europe formally endorsed Africa’s ambition to perform value-addition on critical minerals on the continent. It recognised the blue economy as a strategic priority and committed to supporting green-industrial…

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has stepped down as a Member of Parliament following serious allegations that she played a role in deceiving a group of South African men into travelling to Russia, where they reportedly ended up fighting as mercenaries in the conflict in Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla, who represented the opposition party uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), maintains in a sworn affidavit that she believed the men were travelling legally for professional training purposes and denies knowingly misleading anyone. Her party said the decision to resign was entirely her own, framing it as an effort to concentrate…

Mastercard has entered into a major strategic partnership with AXIAN Group to roll out a broad suite of digital payment tools across five African countries—Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Comoros and Senegal. The initiative marks a significant milestone in expanding safe, modern and inclusive financial services to millions of people across the continent. Through this collaboration, consumers, small businesses and entrepreneurs will gain access to virtual and physical payment cards, along with merchant solutions integrated into AXIAN’s Mixx and MVola platforms. These tools are designed to help users pay and receive money securely from their mobile devices, reducing reliance on cash and…

Nigerian companies have been completely edged out of the top tier of Africa’s most valuable corporations for 2025, according to the newly released Africa’s Top 250 Companies ranking. Persistent currency instability, ongoing devaluations, and weak investor confidence have taken a significant toll on company valuations in Africa’s largest consumer market, preventing any Nigerian business from entering the prestigious top 10. The rankings, published by African Business, show a landscape now dominated by South Africa and Morocco. South African firms secured an overwhelming eight out of the top 10 positions, while the remaining two spots were claimed by Moroccan companies. Nigeria’s…

Africa has always been a continent rich in natural resources, creativity, and human talent. Yet for generations, the global economic system positioned African countries at the very bottom of the value chain. We exported raw materials that powered global industries, only to buy back the finished products at a premium. For decades, Africa contributed the inputs but was largely excluded from the manufacturing, innovation, and value creation built around its own resources. Today, that narrative is beginning to change. A new continental consciousness is emerging—one that insists Africa must not only produce but also benefit from what it creates. This…

Seychelles has taken a major step toward diversifying and strengthening its tourism sector, unveiling new strategies for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) market during IBTM World 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. The global event provided the perfect platform for the island nation to demonstrate its renewed commitment to expanding its tourism offerings and building fresh international partnerships. This push comes at a time when Seychelles has recorded a 12% surge in visitor arrivals, reinforcing its reputation as a resilient and forward-thinking destination. International tourism leaders at the event recognised Seychelles’ impressive rebound and growing interest in business travel, incentive…