Author: Victor Olayiwola

The African Union (AU) renewed its long-standing demand for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and for fairer representation in leading global financial organizations, emphasizing that the continent can no longer remain on the sidelines of major international decisions. Speaking at the 7th African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, AU Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed deep concern about the rapidly shifting global landscape. He noted that rising geopolitical tensions, increasing conflicts, acts of terrorism, and extremist movements have created widespread instability and allowed international norms to erode. Youssouf warned that international law is losing strength,…

Some of Africa’s most influential chief executives and human-resource experts have mapped out a practical and coordinated pathway for unlocking the continent’s human capital, describing talent as the continent’s strongest engine for long-term development, innovation, and economic resilience. During a panel session at The African Forum for Talent Leadership in Finance, speakers emphasised that African nations possess abundant creativity and ambition, but lack the leadership systems and collaborative structures needed to convert this potential into sustained progress. Oscar Onyema, Chairman of JEX Markets and former CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, drew lessons from Asia’s success stories, explaining that countries…

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, together with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), announced on the 23rd that they are leveraging the momentum of the G20 Summit in South Africa to deepen economic cooperation across the African continent. As part of this effort, the two institutions are hosting a series of export-focused business events in eight major African countries between November and December, aiming to boost trade ties and support Korean companies seeking new market opportunities. The initiative has already drawn significant participation, with around 270 African state-run and leading private corporations joining alongside nearly 120 Korean companies.…

Verto has recognised and rewarded three promising African startups with cash prizes and targeted support designed to accelerate their international growth, following the successful conclusion of its inaugural Global Business Award ceremony held in Lagos, Nigeria. The initiative, launched earlier this year, seeks to spotlight high-potential early-stage startups that are creating innovative, scalable solutions with the capacity to compete on a global stage. The winners—Dingpay, AquaTrack, and Grower—were announced at a lively gathering of investors, ecosystem partners, industry leaders, and members of Nigeria’s vibrant startup community. They were carefully selected after several months of evaluation, shortlisting, and a rigorous judging…

ORCA, a leading international home and lifestyle brand operating in 22 African countries, has officially opened its largest showroom on the continent in Lagos, Nigeria. The landmark opening, held on October 27, 2025, marks a major leap in the company’s expansion strategy and further establishes Lagos as a hub for premium retail experiences in Africa. Situated in the rapidly developing Eko Atlantic City, the new showroom represents a strategic move for ORCA, which has spent more than two decades building a strong brand presence across Africa. Since its founding in Dakar, Senegal, the company has grown into one of the…

Sterling Bank is calling for a renewed, continent-wide commitment to transforming agriculture into Africa’s next major investment frontier. At the 2025 Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) in Abuja, the bank urged policymakers, financiers, and private-sector leaders to unlock catalytic capital while embracing technology-driven, climate-smart solutions that can reposition the food and agribusiness sector for sustainable growth. According to Olushola Obikanye, Group Head of Agric and Solid Mineral Finance at Sterling Bank, conversations throughout the summit reflected a growing shift in mindset among investors who are beginning to recognize agribusiness as a scalable, profitable, and innovation-friendly industry.He explained that Africa’s agricultural story…

G20 leaders reached an unexpected breakthrough on Saturday after adopting a consensus declaration on the first day of their summit in Johannesburg. The move, which bypassed the traditional practice of approving the declaration at the end of the summit, highlighted the group’s commitment to multilateral cooperation—even without the support of the United States. South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, described the early adoption as a strong demonstration of unity. According to Lamola, the content of the declaration had already been thoroughly negotiated by G20 Sherpas before the summit began, allowing heads of state to approve it…

Vodacom Group is currently engaged in early-stage discussions with the Kenyan government about the potential purchase of an additional stake in Safaricom, according to individuals with direct knowledge of the matter. Although Vodacom already holds close to a 40% share of Safaricom—Kenya’s most valuable publicly traded company—the South African telecoms giant is exploring the possibility of increasing its ownership to deepen its influence in one of Africa’s most profitable mobile markets. The talks remain confidential, and none of the involved parties have issued formal statements. However, insiders suggest that both sides are weighing the financial and strategic implications. Safaricom, with…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled a major $1 billion investment initiative aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and enhancing government services across Africa. The announcement—delivered by Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—was made during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, signaling a significant expansion of the Gulf nation’s digital and geopolitical engagement on the continent. This new commitment places the UAE among the most influential foreign investors supporting Africa’s technological transformation. Speaking at the summit, Al Hajeri emphasized that the initiative is designed not only to drive digital progress…

The European Union has announced a sweeping €15.5 billion pledge to help propel Africa’s clean-energy transformation, marking one of the largest collective commitments ever made toward the continent’s sustainable power future. The major investment package—driven jointly by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa—forms part of a year-long global campaign focused on unlocking large-scale public and private capital for Africa’s energy transition. The details of the pledge were outlined in a statement released by the European Commission, which confirmed that the EU led the fundraising effort with contributions amounting to more than €15.1 billion.…