[Daba Finance] BICICI, the Abidjan-based, BRVM-listed lender now owned by an Ivorian state consortium, posted a 39% jump in net profit for the year ended December 31, 2025 -- the clearest sign yet that the bank's transition away from French parent BNP Paribas, completed in 2022, has not derailed its growth trajectory. Net profit reached XOF 36.5 billion ($65.6 million), up from XOF 26.2 billion ($47.1 million) in 2024.

[United States Senate] Washington, DC -- Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising alarm over reports that the State Department is considering withholding critical HIV/AIDS treatment and economic assistance to Zambia unless the country agrees to favorable economic reforms for U.S. businesses. The Senators warned that conditioning lifesaving assistance on economic concessions would

[Liberian Observer] Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and a high-level Liberian delegation have held strategic discussions with Ousmane Diagana and senior World Bank officials to assess economic stability under mounting oil price pressures linked to the ongoing Middle East crisis.

[Liberian Observer] The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) announces a Public Hearing on the Liberia Electricity Corporation's (LEC) application for a 20-megawatt (MW) Solar Generation License.

[Premium Times] The licences include four exploration permits and two small-scale mining licences, previously held by Continental Lithium Limited.

[Scrolla] Many businesses in South Africa say they cannot hire young graduates because they do not have practical workplace computer skills. Experts say education must change to include practical learning and mentorship so students learn exactly what employers need right now.

[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- Two members of the Liberian Senate have proposed a bill seeking to establish a national gold refinery in Liberia as part of measures to reform the minerals sector and rebuild the country.

[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- Former presidential candidate Alexander B. Cummings has launched a stinging critique of Liberia's concession regime, describing it as outdated, exploitative, and incapable of delivering meaningful benefits to ordinary citizens.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- President William Ruto has announced a raft of emergency measures aimed at shielding Kenyans from rising living costs triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including a temporary reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has warned that persistently high fuel prices are straining the transport sector and could spill over into broader economic instability if urgent support measures are not introduced.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded Kenya's economic growth forecast for 2026 to 4.5 percent from an earlier projection of 4.9 percent, citing rising inflation and global uncertainties.

[Liberian Observer] The House of Representatives' Ways, Means and Finance Committee is set to begin public hearings on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. 's proposed US$45 million supplementary budget, a plan aimed at boosting key sectors including health, education, infrastructure, and national security.

[IPS] Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- Across the continent, GDP has risen on the back of more workers, more capital and a commodity super-cycle, rather than through genuine gains in productivity and innovation. Too little labour has moved out of subsistence agriculture into higher-productivity manufacturing and modern services.

[Vanguard] Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has warned that airlines across the country may suspend operations from April 20, 2026, over what it described as an "astronomical and unsustainable" rise in the price of Jet A1 fuel.

[Vanguard] The International Monetary Fund, IMF, has warned that Nigerians may face tougher economic conditions in the near term as rising food and transportation costs continue to squeeze household incomes amid lingering global shocks.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- President William Ruto has signed the VAT (Amendment) Act 2026 into law, temporarily reducing Value Added Tax on fuel from 16 percent to 8 percent for a period of 90 days in a move aimed at easing pressure on consumers and stabilising fuel prices.

[New Zimbabwe] President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a State of Disaster following a horrific road accident along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Highway that claimed the lives of all passengers aboard a commuter omnibus, Thursday.

[New Zimbabwe] Analysts have cautioned against interpreting the global attention Caledonia Mining Corporation's US$150 million bond got as a broad vote-of-confidence in Zimbabwe's investment climate.

[This Day] President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, held a series of high-level meetings with global financial leaders on the side-lines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., as part of efforts to deepen investment flows and strengthen partnerships in Nigeria's energy and industrial sectors.

[This Day] Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called for urgent and unified action to transform Africa's aviation sector, insisting that the region must become self-sustaining in aircraft maintenance to curb current capital flight from the continent.

[This Day] The management of Nigerian Breweries plc, yesterday expressed optimism about its performance in 2026 financial year, projecting stronger growth driven by expectations of improved macroeconomic stability.

[allAfrica]

[263Chat] At least 18 people have died after a passenger kombi burst into flames on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road near Gwanda tollgate, police say.

[This Day] Nigerian Airlines may be losing over N8 billion revenue annually, due to the inability of operators to maximise the utilisation of aircraft in their fleet, THISDAY investigation has revealed.

[New Times] Rwanda's industrial ambitions are steadily taking shape, and the performance of the Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) offers tangible proof.

[New Times] Petrol prices on the pump have been increased to Rwf2,938 per litre, up from Rwf2,303, while diesel remains unchanged at Rwf2,205, following a new tariff announced by Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) on April 16.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The National Assembly has approved the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, lowering VAT on petroleum products from 16 percent to 8 percent for a period of three months, in a move lawmakers say is aimed at cushioning Kenyans against rising fuel prices.

[Botswana Daily News] Gaborone -- A heavily guarded metal door swings open. Entrance is restricted and monitored by guards.

[GroundUp] Community health workers marched through the streets to the provincial legislature in Cape Town on Thursday to demand that the provincial health department employ them permanently.

[New Times] Industries operating within the Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) exported processed goods worth approximately $290 million in 2025, as authorities advance expansion preparations for Phase III and Phase IV.