Oil & Gas Africa: Disputes Simmer Over Exploration Rights In Eastern Africa
March 2, 2015 The discovery of large reserves of oil and gas has raised the profile of eastern Africa countries, with the potential of joining world’s energy producers. But the new found reserves have brought a bigger problem and triggered escalating disputes among the soon to be new oil states in Africa. From the Horn
Why ‘Doing business In Africa Is Easier Than You May Think’
February 28, 2015 Doing business in Africa is easier than you may think, according to African marketing expert Carol Abade. Abade is the Kenayn CEO of South Africa-based Exp, which describes itself as Africa’s largest and leading experiential marketing agency, with offices in Angola, DRC, Ghana, Guinea Bassau, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Twenty years after
The Changing Business of Black Hair, a Potentially $500b Industry
February 27, 2015 The Black haircare industry is grossly underestimated, and knowingly so. Market research firm Mintel estimated the size of the 2012 market at $684 million, with a projection of $761 million by 2017. But Mintel also wisely notes: What’s missing from these figures are general market brands, weaves, extensions, wigs, independent beauty supply
Business Opportunities In Nigeria For Cashew Nut Products
February 27, 2015 As Nigeria looks to diversify its economy in the face of falling global oil prices, the country’s cashew nut lobby is offering some ideas for business opportunities. The country needs a national cashew seed program, disease-resistant cashew seedlings, rejuvenated old cashew farms and capacity for farmers to add value to the agricultural, said Sotonye
Etisalat wins African Telecoms Deal of the Year 2014
February 25, 2015 Etisalat has emerged winner of the ‘African Telecoms Deal of the Year 2014’ at the IJGlobal Europe & Africa Award (Euromoney/Project Finance Magazine Awards) in London last week. This deal, the first by a major GSM operator in Nigeria, was announced in August 2014 and is part of Etisalat’s broader strategy to
Boosting Trade Through Reducing Barriers in the Mena Region
February 25, 2015 The African Development Bank (AfDB) has published a new economic paper on the Middle East and North Africa, entitled “Trade Volume and Economic Growth in the MENA Region: Goods or Services?” In this paper, the African Development Bank underlines that the relatively high trade barriers in the region have a negative effect,
A New Wave Of Social Entrepreneurs Are Giving Back To Africa
February 24, 2015 From solar powered Android tablets in South Africa to foot pedals for charging cell phones in Lesotho, entrepreneurs in Africa have over the past few decades been developing concepts that are changing and improving the lives of the communities they live in. Many are stepping in, to provide essential services that were
Nigeria’s enterprising five-to-nine work ethic
February 20, 2015 Nigeria has Africa’s largest economy. It is mostly known for oil, but that wealth has not trickled down. As it joins the global economic top table, what kind of businesses and businesspeople are thriving in Africa’s most populous nation? “You’re supposed to hold something,” I was told. “Hold what?” I replied naively.
Nigeria’s Naira Gains After Worst Week Since 2008
February 16, 2015 Foreign-exchange trading volumes in Nigeria fell on Monday, helping to strengthen the naira after it suffered its worst week since December 2008. The currency of Africa’s largest economy rose 0.7 percent to 202.05 against the dollar at 12:47 a.m. in Lagos, the commercial capital. It weakened 4.7 percent last week after presidential
Starting A Business In Nigeria? Family And Friends Are Your Best Bet For Capital
February 16, 2015 “As a first-time entrepreneur, your first source of funding should probably be your friends, family or personal savings, before seeking angel or VC funding,” says Ozioma Obiaka, a Director at TalentBase, a Lagos-based HR and Payroll software provider. Ozioma is part of a growing wave of Nigerians who have come back to