West Africa | - Part 19

Nigerian Central Bank to Keep Tight Monetary Policy, Nnanna Says

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa)- Nigeria’s central bank will keep monetary policy tight as dollar shortages persist, Deputy Governor Joseph Nnanna said Now is not the time to ease policy, he said in an interview Thursday in the capital, Abuja. Inflation slowed for a third month in April, but at 17.2 percent remains almost double the upper limit of the bank’s 6 percent to 9 percent target. “We are battling with liquidity as it were, so tight monetary…

Nigeria Seeks $5.2 Billion From World Bank for Electricity

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is seeking $5.2 billion from the World Bank to expand electricity generation and help the economy recover from its first contraction in 25 years. The bank’s private-sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation, may invest about $1.3 billion in power projects and electricity distribution companies. Its political risk insurer, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, could provide equity and debt of $1.4 billion for gas and solar power programs, according to Power, Works, and…

Stress Sign: Black Market’s Cheaper Than Official Naira Rate

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s new currency market is showing just how severe the country’s dollar shortage is. The naira is falling to levels weaker than the black-market rate in a foreign-exchange window set up for international investors and hedge funds last month. It’s a sign of how dysfunctional currency markets have become in Africa’s largest economy as officials enforce multiple exchange rates and trading and import restrictions. Funds including Chicago-based Frontaura Capital, South Africa’s Allan…

Dangote Cement Profit Rises as Price Gains Offset Lower Volumes

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Dangote Cement Plc, Africa’s largest producer of the building material and Nigeria’s biggest company, said first-quarter profit rose 34 percent as a price increase offset lower volumes sold and operations on the rest of the continent helped bolster sales. Net income increased to 70.6 billion naira ($220 million) in the three months through March, compared with 52.8 billion naira a year earlier, the Lagos-based company said in a statement on Friday….

Ivory Coast Economy Remains ‘Solid’ Despite Challenges, PM Says

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ABIDJAN (Capital Markets in Africa) – Ivory Coast’s economy is strong despite challenges including a slump in cocoa prices and social unrest, according to Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly. “The fundamentals of the Ivorian economy are solid, as evidenced by the growth that we’re experiencing,” Coulibaly said in an interview on state TV late Thursday. “But we’re confronted with numerous challenges.” The government of the world’s biggest cocoa producer cut this year’s budget by a 10th…

What Investors Need to Know About Nigeria’s New Exchange Window

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – There’s a lot riding on Nigeria’s new foreign-exchange platform. The system — called the Investors’ and Exporters’ FX Window — is the government’s latest attempt to lure back traders who fled in the past two years. The idea is that by creating a market for some types of investment transactions, policy makers can satisfy calls to float the currency without risking an inflationary spiral that may come from a devaluation. Eventually,…

Nigeria Senator Says Work on 2017 Budget Stalled by Police Raid

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – A Nigerian lawmaker said work on passing the overdue 2017 budget stalled after police raided his house last week and took away key papers. The police denied confiscating any budget-related document. “The police truncated work on the 2017 budget by the invasion of my house,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Danjuma Goje told reporters Wednesday in the capital, Abuja. “I don’t know if the police are now working on the…

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