John Magufuli, Tanzanian Leader Who Denied Covid, Dies at 61

John Magufuli, Tanzanian Leader Who Denied Covid, Dies at 61

DAR ES SALAM (Capital Markets in Africa) — Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who drew widespread criticism for his denialism of the coronavirus pandemic, has died only five months after he won a second term in a disputed election. He was 61. “We have lost our courageous leader, President John Magufuli, who has died from a heart illness,” Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on state television on Wednesday. Magufuli fell ill on March 14 and had been…

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Nigeria Getting a Combat Drones Made in China to Battle Boko Haram

Nigeria Getting a Combat Drones Made in China to Battle Boko Haram

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — A dozen years into its fight with the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram, Nigeria is getting some new weapons: a pair of Wing Loong II drones from China. The deal is one of a growing number of sales by state-owned Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC), which has exported scores of the aircraft. The United Arab Emirates has used AVIC drones in Libya’s civil war, Egypt has attacked rebels…

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Bonuses Are Targeted in U.K. Crackdown on Audit Scandals

Bonuses Are Targeted in U.K. Crackdown on Audit Scandals

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Top executives at companies hit by accounting scandals could lose their bonuses under U.K. proposals for beefed-up regulation after a wave of corporate collapses including Carillion Plc and travel firm Thomas Cook Group Plc. The government proposed creating a new regulator with the power to wield a range of sanctions, including reprimands, fines, and even temporary bans from directorships, signaling it’s serious about cracking down on questionable accounting practices….

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Bank of England Passes On Opportunity to Confront a Surge in Bond Yields

Bank of England Passes On Opportunity to Confront a Surge in Bond Yields

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — The Bank of England vowed not to withdraw support to the economy until there’s clear evidence of a recovery in the U.K. but sidestepped an opportunity to calm a surge in market interest rates. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee made no change to its target for asset purchases of 895 billion pounds ($1.2 trillion) and maintained the weekly pace of its stimulus program. While that was widely expected,…

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Bonds Plunge, Stocks Undo Gains on Inflation Risk: Markets Wrap

Bonds Plunge, Stocks Undo Gains on Inflation Risk: Markets Wrap

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Inflation concerns are rattling investors worldwide once again, fueling a selloff in bonds and sending U.S. stocks down from record highs. Ten-year Treasury yields climbed above 1.75% for the first time since January 2020, while the 30-year breached 2.5% for the first time since August 2019. The Nasdaq 100 Index, a benchmark for high-valuation stocks that are sensitive to rising yields, sank, with Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Tesla…

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How next generation financial services platforms are driving global financial inclusion

How next generation financial services platforms are driving global financial inclusion

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – With the World Economic Forum warning (https://bit.ly/2NntZ7V) of a deepening digital divide that will ultimately exacerbate global inequality, the role of intuitive digital financial services platforms in bridging this divide is becoming more important than ever before. Indeed, next generation tools that provide essential financial services – savings accounts, global money transfers, loans, etc – to customers in an accessible way, are becoming a powerful force for change by driving…

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Power flexibility in Nigeria by Wale Yusuff, Managing Director, Wärtsilä Nigeria

Power flexibility in Nigeria by Wale Yusuff, Managing Director, Wärtsilä Nigeria

“Without flexibility, Nigeria will face difficulties integrating large amounts of renewable energy into the grid” As the largest economy in Africa, with huge gas reserves and high solar energy potential, Nigeria has all the natural resources necessary to meet the growing demand for electricity. However, the inadequate energy infrastructure still leaves a significant part of the population without power or relying on oil-fired back-up generators. If Nigeria can improve its energy infrastructure and unlock its…

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