World’s Biggest Mobile Carriers Defeated as Africa Promise Fades

World’s Biggest Mobile Carriers Defeated as Africa Promise Fades

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Back when African countries were auctioning off mobile licenses by the boatload to serve the region’s young, tech-savvy population, investing in the continent’s fast-growing economies seemed like a no-brainer. Some of the world’s biggest wireless carriers rushed in. Now they’re wondering if they made a mistake. Increasing government and regulatory scrutiny, as well as a lack of expansion opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, are making it harder for operators such…

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OPEC Caps for Libya, Nigeria Wouldn’t Fix Global Oil Glut

OPEC Caps for Libya, Nigeria Wouldn’t Fix Global Oil Glut

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – A proposal that Libya and Nigeria could have to accept limits on their crude production probably wouldn’t be enough to put OPEC’s faltering efforts to eliminate a global supply glut back on track. The two African nations — exempt from the supply curbs agreed last year due to internal strife — have added enough production in the last two months to offset Saudi Arabia’s cut. Should the pair accept a cap…

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Nigeria’s Succession Jitters With Ill President Buhari

Nigeria’s Succession Jitters With Ill President Buhari

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is awash in nervous speculation over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, who hasn’t appeared in public since he returned to the U.K. for medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment on May 7. Buhari, 74 and a Muslim, has formally designated his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, acting president as he did when he was away on medical leave for 49 days from Jan. 20. The prospect of Osinbajo, a 60-year-old Christian,…

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Libya, Nigeria May Be Asked to Cap Oil Output, Kuwait Says

Libya, Nigeria May Be Asked to Cap Oil Output, Kuwait Says

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Libya and Nigeria, which have both boosted oil production since they were exempt from global cuts this year, may be asked to cap their crude output soon in an effort to help re-balance the market, Kuwait Oil Minister Issam Almarzooq said. OPEC and non-OPEC producers have invited the two African nations to their committee meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 24 to discuss the stability of their production, Almarzooq said…

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Nigeria Taps Microsoft to Oracle to Recover From Recession

Nigeria Taps Microsoft to Oracle to Recover From Recession

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is hiring U.S. technology giants such as Oracle Corporation and Microsoft Corp. as the government invests more to save costs and fight corruption. An initiative led by Redwood, California-based Oracle has enabled Nigerian authorities to remove 50,000 so-called ghost workers, or fake entries, from the payroll, according to a presidency statement June 29. That followed Oracle’s decision to open an office in Abuja, the capital, in May. Other companies interested in taking…

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Julius Berger Eyes Oil, Power Deals to Curb Nigeria Risk

Julius Berger Eyes Oil, Power Deals to Curb Nigeria Risk

LAGOS (Capita Markets in Africa) – Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the largest construction company by market value in the West African nation, plans to acquire oil assets and expand into the power industry as it seeks to diversify its business and stay competitive after the country’s worst economic slump in decades. The Abuja-based company, which derives two-thirds of its earnings from government contracts, is also considering bidding for business in other countries in the region,…

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Nigeria Rolls Out $2 Billion Brazil-Like Social-Welfare Plan

Nigeria Rolls Out $2 Billion Brazil-Like Social-Welfare Plan

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is rolling out its first national social-welfare program modeled partly on Brazil’s Bolsa Familia in a bid to boost a weak economy and curb poverty by giving cash to its poorest citizens and ensuring their children go to school. The government of Africa’s most-populous nation is investing 500 billion naira ($1.5 billion) in the initiative this year and is talking to the World Bank about a $500 million…

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