Finance

Palace Intrigues
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Guillaume Soro, Alassane Ouattara

Intrigues big and small – every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory CoastGuillaume Soro's old acquaintances in Gabon

GabonNguema kept in dark about World Bank arrears

SomaliaRabat mediates to keep coach Rachid Loustèque onside

The New Guard
Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

KenyaDeraso Dokhole, defender of refugees

MoroccoYoussef Agoumi, leading figure in cybersecurity

Ivory CoastKimany Tayoro, up-and-coming Abidjan influencer

The New Guard
Ghana, South Africa, Algeria

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

GhanaJohn Abdulai Jinapor, the new oil expert

South AfricaAshor Sarupen, a cooperative deputy finance minister

AlgeriaHabib Brahmia, a crestfallen opponent

Gabon
The son of an Omar Bongo minister serves as go-between for Oligui Nguema and Africa50

Cameroonian national Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, was able to meet Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema on the sidelines of the Mission 300 Summit through businessman Bertin Mboumbou Miyakou, son of Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou Miyakou.

Libya
How Libyan Investment Authority plans to unfreeze its assets

Libya's sovereign wealth fund has been allowed to recover some of the money blocked since 2011, but only on a case-by-case basis and with the authorisation of the UN sanctions committee. Its first attempt concerns €15bn placed with Euroclear in Belgium.

Ethiopia
Paris allocates €550,000 to help improve Ethiopia's prisons

France is set to finance a programme to modernise Ethiopian prisons. Costing €550,000, this two-year project will bring together the NGOs Prisoners Without Borders, Center for Justice and Lawyers for Human Rights.

Ivory Coast
Abidjan removes JP Morgan from fund-raising round

The US bank JP Morgan had been selected to support the Ivorian government in a syndicated loan estimated at €800m. In the end, however, it was judged to be too expensive.

Cameroon
Yaoundé throws in the towel for AfDB presidency

Cameroon has decided not to put forward a candidate for the presidency of the AfDB, despite two profiles emerging in recent months. This means that President Paul Biya will not find himself at odds with his Chadian counterpart.

Inner circles | Congo, Ivory Coast
Banker Ibrahim Magassa dispenses financial advice from Abidjan to Brazzaville

At the comparatively young age of 44, the French-Ivorian banker has established himself as a leading adviser to indebted states, initially to Ivory Coast and then to Congo and Ghana. He can rely on a solid network of contacts in Paris, not least at the investment bank Rothschild.

Madagascar
Ministry of Finance increases tax burden on businesses

In anticipation of future payments from the International Monetary Fund, which will be holding its next board meeting in March, the finance minister has tightened the conditions for companies facing a tax reassessment.

Gabon
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema plays the Abu Dhabi investment card

Under pressure from the IMF, the Gabonese government is hoping to nurture closer ties with the United Arab Emirates. A delegation headed by a prominent Emirati businessman is currently in Libreville and various diplomatic initiatives are underway.

Ivory Coast
Tycoon Tiemtoré fails in bid to buy Novamed hospital group

Lilium Capital, headed by Burkina Faso businessman Simon Tiemtoré, failed to convince Novamed's co-founders that it had sufficient financial backing.

DRC
World Bank works on new budget support packages

The international financial institution is working on budget support for 2025 and 2026. One of its objectives is to implement a regulatory reform to make it easier for private investors to set up in special economic zones.